Residents welcome security at Beachway Road substation
A resident said there had been frequent electricity outages and surges due to faults at the substation.
DURBAN North resident Neil Smith has welcomed new metal doors that heighten security at the electrical substation on the corner of Beachway Road and Gilford Place. This after a fire broke out in his pool house recently and several of his appliances were damaged after an alleged cable theft caused an electrical surge at the substation.
“Thankfully, I am only five minutes away from home at work and I was able to get back and put out the fire,” he said.
Smith said there had been frequent electricity outages and surges due to faults at the substation.
“Within a week the substation was broken into twice and cables were stolen. It affected the whole area. My gate motor was broken and my swimming pool pump was damaged.
A few of my appliances burnt out. Many people in the area lost microwaves,” he said.
Also read: Umhlanga Rocks Drive cable theft angers residents
Improving security measures at the substation is key to preventing electrical faults, said Smith.
“We have had a couple of incidents where the substation has been interfered with because the old wooden doors were rotten and there was no security,” said Smith.
Acting Ward councillor Shontel de Boer said that while the infrastructure inside the substation belongs to the eThekwini Municipality, the structure itself belongs to the Department of Architecture.
“I contacted three departments to address the problem: Electricity, Architecture and Real Estate,” she said.
While the new metal doors provided greater security, it was a temporary fix.
“When we went to the substation, we found the doors weren’t galvanised, so they were not to standard,” said de Boer.
In other news: M4 repair work halted during nationwide lockdown
De Boer added that water proofing is another concern. The eThekwini Municipality did not send their comment at the time this article went to print.
You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5532. 
Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.
