FREQUENT power outages affecting Sahara Sands, Northlyn, and Carlton Towers have created a dark experience for residents in the North Beach area.

All these blocks of flats are powered by a substation located under the Mangrove Beach Centre on Somtseu Road. It was established that the roof of the substation has been gradually decaying due to water and residue flowing through two leaks above the power structure.

The source of the leaks and residue is the carwash at the petrol station behind Mangrove Beach Centre. It is alleged that the carwash lacks a proper drainage system, and the flow goes straight to the substation below Mangrove.
The management of the petrol station has not replied to Berea Mail enquiries.

“At first, we thought the substation was affected by the rains; however, we learnt that the problem was getting more serious and more regular. The power outages have become abnormal. We experience it every other day now, especially on weekends. We do report to the Electricity department, and they ‘fix’ the problem, only to experience the same issue the next day,” said one resident of Sahara Sands.

A Northlyn tenant lamented the inconvenience the outages have caused. “Apart from the unpredictability of power and our inability to plan the day ahead, the appliances are breaking due to the unexpected power trips. At least with load-shedding, we knew how to go around the schedule.
“There are ongoing car-washing activities in the area without adequate drainage systems, resulting in wastewater flowing into public streets and causing environmental and hygiene concerns. This needs to be addressed through either regulation, relocation, or installation of proper facilities.”
The residents are placing the blame on the management of the Mangrove Beach Centre for not facing up to the challenge and taking necessary steps.

Also read: Power outages continue to plague households amidst heavy rains

Chris Pearson, chairman of the Mangrove Beach Centre Body Corporate, refuted the residents’ claims, placing the blame squarely on the shoulders of the eThekwini Electricity Department.

“The substation in our premises is the eThekwini’s responsibility and they must take accountability for any damages and maintenance. Considering that the three buildings’ substations across the road from Mangrove Beach Centre are situated in our basement, and these are the faulty ones, how is it possible that Mangrove Beach Centre BC are accountable for these buildings’ substations? They pay the Mangrove BC no rental for the space used.
“They cannot pass the buck in this regard, and they have a duty to maintain and repair their facility. There are clear danger warnings on the substation entrance not to enter for obvious reasons. Rates are paid to cater for such damage to eThekwini domains and require their expertise to deal with such events like this. Additionally, the municipality has the power to intervene with any building or business that causes damage to its facilities.”

Also read: Blocked drains, stench breed concerns in North Beach

Pearson concluded, “We sympathise with the residents in the area who experience outages regularly, but it is misinformation that Mangrove Beach Centre is liable for repairs and maintenance of the eThekwini substations in its basements. We will not be involved, however, we are willing to co-operate with the necessary bodies to ensure that a solution is reached.”

DA PR councillor Charmaine Sewshanker who has been at the helm of solutions to the problem, reported on Tuesday that temporary repairs were done by the electricity department. “The electricity department has split and rerouted our power to another substation until the repairs to the substation at Mangrove are completed. Repairs will be done soon,” she said.

Also read: City ignores pleas to fix substation fence

The eThekwini Municipality responds:
“The City’s Energy Management Directorate is aware of the frequent power outages affecting the block of flats. Teams recently responded to another outage, carried out repairs, and restored power. An investigation into the source of these persistent power trips on this street was conducted but no technical faults were found on our 11 kV network. The suspected cause is likely water ingress into the 11 kV panel at the Mikado Centre substation.
While our team continues to investigate and confirm this suspicion, as a precaution, supply to Carlton Towers and Northlyn has been temporarily redirected to prevent them from being affected should the suspected water ingress cause another trip. The City has also engaged with the local councillor to determine the best way to temporarily divert any further water from entering the equipment.”

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