The Greater Tzaneen Municipality (GTM) is really trying hard to improve the infrastructure and service and it is showing.
These are the words of Laurie Railton, a long time resident of Haenertsburg and Magoebaskloof on the improvement of electricity down times since January this year.

“Despite the many days of drizzle in the past few weeks, we have had minimal down time on power.
“The last time the power was down it was caused by theft of the transformer and cables at Stanford Lake College,” Railton told the Herald last week Wednesday.
Haenertsburg is currently also not experencing load shedding, he said.

“Thanks to the recent protests in Polokwane due to a lack of water in the municipal area surrounding the city, Lepelle Water and Haenertsburg have been excluded from load shedding.”
Polokwane’s water is pumped from the Ebenezer Dam.
“So for now its looking good.”

Also read: POWER-LESS IN HAENERTSBURG

He also said that the GTM has been meeting with local timber farmers to find ways and means of joint power line clearing operations. “That has not happened for a really long time.”
The Haenertsburg Ratepayers Association has also worked hard to improve communication with the GTM and they have responded positively, Railton said.

Wim van Zyl, co-owner of The Pancake House, a popular restaurant in town, also confirmed an improvement in power down time.
He said he believes that a change in management at GTM has played a role.
“But I am still cautious to be too optimistic, the rain season has only started.”

Moya Blight of the guesthouse, The Viewpoint, was also optimistic.
“We still have the normal issues, but it has improved,” she said.
Meanwhile, the installation of a transformer at the Magoebaskloof Hotel that was supposed to be installed this week, had to be postponed.

According to Andrew Laubscher from the GTM, the transformer had to be used to replace another transformer that broke down during a storm on Friday night at the Grenshoek sub-station.
Laubscher says that another transformer has been ordered from the suppliers and will be installed once it arrives.

It is said that the new Magoebaskloof Hotel sub-station will, once energised, service the lower part off Magoebaskloof from the Magoebaskloof Mountain Lodge (Ruskamp) downwards.
Electricity will be available from either the hotel sub-station or the Rooikoppies sub-station, meaning that when there are problems lower down, the fault can be isolated and they will be able to receive electricity from the top.