Millions spent by Mogale to repair vandalised substations

Repeated attacks on substations across Mogale City have pushed two local councillors to call for urgent action, as vandalism and cable theft continue to cripple infrastructure and drain municipal resources.

Ward councillors Mark Trump and Trudie Naudé have submitted a motion to council calling for immediate steps to secure the town’s substations and curb further damage.

“Very often, electrical substations are vulnerable to vandalism and theft, despite Mogale City Local Municipality (MCLM) having a total contracted security services budget of almost R166m,” Trump said.

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“In June last year, nearly R127m was allocated for the 2024/ 25 financial year.

“An additional R39m was later approved during the February budget adjustments – funds that were specifically motivated by the rising need for extra security.”

He added, “Unfortunately, these extra measures are not visible on the ground.”

On February 10, the substation on Fountain Street in the CBD was broken into when criminals gained access by breaching its wall.

The attack left businesses without power for a full trading day.

The same substation was targeted again on May 7, causing a two-day outage and a more serious disruption to local business operations.

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Trump said ongoing vandalism of substations and electrical infrastructure has left residents and businesses without electricity for hours and, in some cases, days at a time. Since January, about 15 substations have been vandalised and looted.

“This also has a serious impact on the municipality’s budget. One incident of cable theft at a single site is estimated to have cost MCLM around R250 000 in replacement materials and repairs,” he explained.

He suggested that substations could be secured for just R70 000 per site per year – a cost that would include an alarm system and armed response services.

Trump expressed hope that the motion would be supported across the political spectrum and that a formal resolution could be taken to better secure the town’s electrical infrastructure.

MCLM communications officer Refilwe Mahlangu confirmed receipt of the motion and stated that it will be tabled at the next ordinary council meeting.

“In the new financial year, about R174m has been allocated for physical security services, with around R30m designated for preventing cable theft and land invasions. However, these amounts are not broken down by specific facilities,” she said.

She added that the cost of repairing vandalised substations varies depending on the damage, with service providers conducting site assessments to estimate repair or replacement costs.

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Mahlangu also confirmed that 24/7 armed security guards are currently deployed at substations, and that patrols are conducted in high-risk areas.

“Plans to implement hybrid security solutions, incorporating advanced technology, are under consideration. However, specific details cannot be disclosed at this time,” she concluded.

The motion is expected to be tabled at the next ordinary council meeting. If approved, it could mark the beginning of stronger, more visible security measures to protect Mogale City’s power supply from further disruption.