UPDATE: 29 October – 18:32

The truck just arrived on site, the refilling of oil has commenced and repairs and restoration is underway.

UPDATE: 29 October – 18:13

A statement issued on the Msukaligwa Municipality’s Facebook page, and confirmed by spokesperson Mandla Zwane, said a truck carrying oil and other necessary equipment is currently en route to the town.

Municipal technical teams are on site dismantling the oil-leaking transformer to prevent further damage. Once the equipment arrives, the process of topping up oil and safely re-energising the substation will begin.

At this stage, officials cannot provide an estimated restoration time. Residents are urged to continue treating all electrical infrastructure as live and exercise caution.

“Msukaligwa Municipality appreciates the patience and understanding of the community and will provide further updates as more information becomes available.”

VIDEO – Lightning strike damages Ermelo substation, power outage expected to continue

ERMELO – Large parts of Ermelo were left without electricity last night and today, after a lightning strike damaged the town’s main 88kV substation.

According to a statement issued by the Msukaligwa Municipality, the incident caused a major power failure affecting all areas supplied through the 88kV substation.

Municipal officials confirmed that a full technical assessment and diagnosis will be conducted today, to determine the extent of the damage and to start with restoration efforts as soon as possible.

Residents and businesses have been urged to treat all electrical infrastructure and network points as live for safety reasons while repair work is under way.

“The municipality sincerely apologizes for the inconvenience caused and appreciates the patience and understanding of residents while our teams work to restore supply safely and efficiently,” the statement read.

At the time of publishing, power had not yet been restored to affected areas.

According to Mandla Zwane, the spokesperson for the Msukaligwa Municipality, there are several aspects that need to be considered when an incident such as the lightning strike occurs.

Although the municipality does have a spare, the installation of the transformer entails the following:

• The technicians must confirm the extent of the damage, not just the cause.
• Lightning may have hit the substation, but engineers need to know what exactly was damaged — was it the transformer itself, surge arresters, isolators, busbars, or control systems?
• Replacing a transformer won’t help if the connected circuitry or switchgear was also affected.
• High-voltage equipment needs controlled shutdown and re-energizing.
• Even after identifying lightning as the cause, they can’t just “plug in” the spare. The system must be safely isolated, grounded, and tested before any new unit is energized. Any residual fault (say, an insulation breakdown or moisture ingress) could damage the replacement immediately.
• When lightning strikes municipal infrastructure, it triggers reporting, insurance claims, and compliance checks before assets are replaced. That process can cause additional delay, especially if Eskom or external contractors are involved.
• Moving and installing a spare transformer typically requires a crane, specialized rigging, and certified personnel. Even if the spare is “available,” it might still be stored elsewhere or need preparation (oil topping, testing, etc.) before it’s put into service.