Pretoria – Residents in parts of Soshanguve, Region One of the City of Tshwane, are facing a prolonged power outage, with the municipality announcing a 48-hour shutdown due to vandalism at a key substation.
The outage, affecting several blocks within the area, comes as Tshwane already grapples with widespread disruptions caused by recent severe flooding.
The City of Tshwane issued a statement late Saturday evening, confirming the vandalism at the CC Substation. The statement, shared across the municipality's social media platforms, detailed the extent of the damage: “Today, 21 December 2024, the CC Substation cable was burned inside the trench. It appears that the vandals intentionally set the medium-voltage (MV) cable on fire. As a result, the switching panels were vandalised, possibly in an attempt to steal the cables.”
This deliberate act of sabotage has left a significant portion of the community without power.
The deliberate nature of the vandalism is particularly concerning, highlighting the challenges faced by the municipality in protecting essential infrastructure. The statement indicates that the damage was not accidental, but rather a targeted attack on the substation’s electrical systems. The implication is that this was a planned act of theft, potentially involving sophisticated knowledge of electrical systems.
The power outage is expected to last for at least 48 hours, impacting the daily lives of thousands of residents. The affected areas include:
- Block AA
- Block CC
- Block G
- Block F East
This prolonged disruption adds to the existing difficulties faced by residents due to recent flooding, which has already caused widespread water and power outages across the city. The cumulative effect of these disruptions is likely to cause significant inconvenience and hardship for many.
The City of Tshwane has assured residents that electricians are already on-site working throughout the night to assess the damage and begin repairs. However, the extent of the damage suggests that restoration of power will be a complex and time-consuming process.
The 48-hour estimate might be optimistic, depending on the availability of necessary parts and the complexity of the repairs. The municipality has not yet provided an alternative power supply or emergency support plan for the affected areas.
