Grobler Park residents take to the streets following prolonged outages
The operation teams sent out Sunday morning had to disperse after the community started throwing stones at the corner of Corlett and South Road.
On Sunday, January 29 the Record received reports of residents in Grobler Park and surrounding neighbourhoods expressing their frustrations over prolonged outages by closing Corlett Avenue near Laerskool Dr Havinga with burning tyres and branches.
Ward 71 Councillor René Benjamin condemned the action from the residents and said that City Power was in the area to attend to the matter but having seen the protest action the team left.
Benjamin said that City Power did not attend to the Grobler Park issue until the protest action stopped.
Through a power outage update issued by City Power Relationship Management, the power utility said the protest action in Grobler Park hampered their teams from finishing repairs and restoring power supply in the area.
The operation teams sent out Sunday morning had to disperse after the community started throwing stones at the corner of Corlett and South Road.
Roads were blocked with burning tyres; it is understood protesters continued rioting throughout Sunday night and only some of the work was completed.
Grobler Park has been without power supply after four load centres (mini substations) stopped working as a result of cable fault.
A fraction of the restoration enabled power supply to certain parts, but additional work still had to be carried out.
Later on, power supply was restored at Flamingo Villas and surrounding areas in Grobler Park after the community made a firm commitment to ensure the safety of City Power teams working in the area.
Disgruntled community members who arrived at the City Power Roodepoort Service Delivery Centre (SDC) calmed down after Acting Manager Alan Shikwambana reassured them that City Power’s priority is to restore power for all its valued customers.
City Power teams conducted various tests without disturbance from protestors and power was fully restored.
Grobler Park had been without power since Thursday after four mini substations presented cable faults.
City Power thanked the Grobler Park community for working with City Power and for their commitment to ensure teams are safe while the conduct repairs and restoration.
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