MMC for Economic Development and Ward 97 councillor, Leah Knott, has praised every City Power employee who worked tirelessly to rehabilitate and restore power following the recent distressing power outages which were caused by cable theft in Willowbrook, Ruimsig.
Mini-substations in the ward blew up, leaving most of the area in the dark on Saturday, 9 November.
Read the initial article here:
https://roodepoortnorthsider.co.za/309170/power-interrupted-mini-sub-goes-flames/
Leah recalled this disastrous weekend. “Initially, what happened was a cable theft took place on Van Staden Road near The Falls Estate, and this caused an immediate shutdown,” she explained.
She speculated that the cables were shot at by criminals. “To avoid being electrocuted, they usually shoot at the cables which would cause a power surge before cutting out and stealing the cables,” she disclosed.
“As a result, there was an immediate surge in the system. Like when Eskom switches off for loadshedding, the surge also hits the heat points first, and this caused an explosion in the Van Dalen Street mini-sub, followed by a fire in the mini-sub on Van der Kloof Road,” she explained.
Videos of these incidents have surfaced online.
She added that the damage to these subs tripped four other interconnected mini subs.
Also Read:
https://roodepoortnorthsider.co.za/309307/mini-sub-costs-city-a-fortune/
She said that this resulted in City Power electricians having to work 24/7. “At some point, we even had the whole team from Region C on several affected roads,” she said. She went on to explain that the electricians had to deal with cables that had exploded or burnt out from underground, and replace them in sections.
Leah, who sympathised with the affected residents, made it clear that the incident was not due to incompetence – it was solely due to cable theft.
When asked how the City intends protecting the mini-subs, Leah responded that they are plagued by theft and interference from residents.
“A lot of people complain about the mini-sub doors being opened and locks going missing, but in some cases I’ve heard that residents break the locks and open the mini-subs to switch the power back on when the switch has tripped,” she said.
Read more:
https://roodepoortnorthsider.co.za/309373/update-on-power-outage-affecting-ruimsig-and-surrounds/
Apart from condemning this behaviour, the MMC urged residents to contact the City Power Risk Department for any issues pertaining to cable theft on the hotline number: 011 490 7100/ 719.
Lastly, she encouraged residents to unite and secure their substations at their own expense, but acquire permission from City Power to do so. “We have complexes that have enclosed their own mini subs with permission from City Power. They then provide City Power with the key whenever they need to gain access,” she concluded.
