POWER UPDATE: MMC visits Kempton Park following major power outages
MMC says cable theft and load-shedding are to blame for Kempton’s blackouts. The estimated restoration time is now 23:00.
MMC for Energy Mzayifani Ngwenya conducted an oversight visit to Kempton Park on Wednesday to assess progress on efforts to restore power following major outages earlier this week.
Accompanied by the City’s chief area engineer, Zipho Khumalo, and a team of technicians, the MMC visited key sites including the Esther Park Substation, Swart Road, and Pretoria Road, all of which were critical to restoring supply after outages struck large parts of Kempton Park since Tuesday.
“The main causes of these power outages are cable theft and load-shedding,” said Khumalo, noting that the Esther Park substation supplies areas such as Kempton Park CBD, particularly Extensions 2 and 4.
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According to Khumalo, an earlier interruption caused by load-shedding also affected Van Riebeeck Park, Terenure, Kempton Park West, Edleen, Spartan, Cresslawn, and Rhodesfield Extension 1. Power has since been restored to these areas.
However, parts of Extensions 2 and 4, Pomona, and Bredell remained without power on Thursday evening, with the estimated time of restoration set for 23:00.
Ngwenya said the City was working with Protection Services and ICT to combat ongoing network vandalism. He explained that early-warning systems, including underground sensors and surveillance cameras, are being deployed in hotspot areas.
Also read: POWER STRUGGLE: Residents forced to pay for stolen cables
“When there’s load-shedding, criminals take advantage of the darkness to steal cables and vandalise infrastructure,” Ngwenya said.
“We are implementing solutions, but the fight cannot be won by government alone. We need civil society, CPFs, NPOs, and community members to work with us to stop these crimes.”
Ngwenya emphasised that power interruptions have become a recurring problem in some areas, particularly Birch Acres, due to ongoing infrastructure sabotage.
“We do what we can, but the reality is that we need all hands on deck. Even neighbourhood watch groups can make a difference,” he added.
The MMC appealed to residents to bear with the technical teams on site and expressed confidence that full restoration was imminent.
The estimated restoration time is 23:00 on Thursday, May 15.
