Plans for the construction of the Phomolong Substation are way ahead and in advanced stages.
This was revealed by the City of Ekurhuleni following public outcry that the project earmarked to deliver vital services for this community might have been halted due to differences between community forums and the Department of Energy.
“The project is not on hold. The City is finalising the PRC process to obtain approval for the building drawings in order to commence with construction of the building for the in-house 11kV switchgears,” said the city’s spokesperson, Themba Gadebe.
He also conceded that there were indeed a few stoppages, but maintained that the differences have been sorted.
“There were a few stoppages from the community, but they were resolved with the councillor and the main contractor and have not caused any delays in the construction of the Phomolong Substation. So in short, the project is ongoing and has not been postponed,” explained Gadebe.
The Democratic Alliance in Ekurhuleni had also earlier called for greater synergy between the Department of Energy and community forums in Phomolong for the smooth sailing of this project.
The DA claimed that relevant Phomolong community forums clashed with the ward councillor regarding their request that a portion of the work be outsourced to local contractors in the process of creating employment for the local community.
“The DA is concerned that service delivery is being compromised due to the lack of planning and the challenging relationship between the metro and the Phomolong community. Going forward, we encourage all stakeholders to work together and prioritise the community’s need in the interests of delivering efficient services,” said the DA’s Shadow MMC for Human Settlements, Clr Mabekenyane Thamahane.
The city has also retaliated the fact that local contractors were involved from the start of the project and they will be involved until the completion of the project.
