Government to power up Kagiso and surrounds

The electricity issue in South Africa is a boiling hot topic as many citizens have been left frustrated with long periods of load-shedding which impacts the lives of millions daily.

However, on October 24 there was some positive news as Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi took to the streets of Kagiso to kickstart the Transformer Replacement Programme. The programme is a partnership between the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG), Eskom and City Power.

Lesufi led the first rollout in Kagiso and various other residents in Swanieville and Rietvallei among others will also benefit from the replacement of 41 transformers. It’s said that many residents in those areas have been without electricity for over a year and Lesufi was there along with Eskom to oversee the replacement of the transformers. Community members were also present to witness the installation and finally have access to electricity.

The premier confirmed that the target is to replace all damaged transformers by December. He will be working with Eskom to replace 11 transformers this week in communities that have been heavily affected by the lack of electricity.

The premier also appealed to community members that while the programme is a good step in the right direction to resolve the electricity crisis in some communities, residents must be responsible and not damage the newly-installed transformers.

“Not having electricity is not pleasant, therefore we are going to install big transformers so that there are no power glitches. We are going to deploy law enforcement agencies when installing these transformers so that these transformers do not get stolen. There will be strict security arrangements to ensure that those transformers are safe,” Lesufi said.