Residents demand lasting fix to cable theft outages

Prolonged power outages, some lasting longer than 36 hours in Pretoria North, have left residents angry and demanding answers from the City of Tshwane.

Pretoria North resident Charlene van Staden said Riebeeck Street in Pretoria North needed serious attention.

Repeated outages in Tshwane North

“Every two weeks, we are confronted by faults in that substation. Last weekend, we had 38 hours of no power,” she said.

Van Staden said it was totally unacceptable that ratepayers have to foot the bill for the city’s incompetence and still have no power.

“Isn’t it time to get professional engineers to check out what the problem is?” she asked.

City of Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the outages were initially caused by a fault on a medium-voltage panel at the Van Riebeeck substation.

Technicians responded swiftly and conducted preliminary work, including cleaning carbon deposits on affected equipment, Mashigo said.

“However, during switching attempts, an additional fault was discovered on a medium-voltage cable within the supply network, preventing full restoration of electricity,” he added.

Cable theft

Another area targeted by cable theft was Delmas Road, where electricity networks were compromised due to the increasing number of cable joints, which left it prone to failures, especially during the past rainy seasons.

Mashigo said cable theft had a significant impact as it had been affecting areas such as the Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Rietvlei water treatment plant, Rietvlei MV rural line, portions of Moreleta Park, Delmas Road Engen garage and Delmas and Dam roads’ traffic lights.

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“The costly copper cable theft on Delmas Road had been plaguing the area for years, draining millions of rands from the city’s coffers for repairs.

“The city has applied to the provincial roads department, as the owners of the servitude along Delmas Road, to convert the existing underground cable to an aluminium overhead line network in the cable theft hotspot,” he added.

Ward 59 councillor Shaun Wilkinson said in Muckleneuk, next to the University of South Africa, critical service cables supplying Groenkloof Village and Groenkloof North have been repeatedly stolen and vandalised more than 100 times.

Wilkinson said each incident triggers a reactive response from the city, repairs are carried out, funds are spent, services are restored until the next theft occurs.

‘We can’t keep patching the same wound’

“And the cycle continues. We cannot keep patching the same wound and expect a different outcome.

“The time has come to invest in a permanent solution to relocate, secure and future-proof this critical infrastructure,” he added.

Wilkinson said this approach reflects a troubling overreliance on operational expenditure, constantly spending money to fix recurring damage, while avoiding the more strategic, long-term solution that capital expenditure could provide.

“Relocating the Unisa cable infrastructure out of high-risk areas would require upfront investment. But it would also significantly reduce ongoing repair costs, minimise service disruptions and improve safety and reliability for residents and institutions alike. Over time, the savings, both financial and social, would far outweigh the initial capital outlay.”

Wilkinson said last year a meeting was convened with the mayor and there was agreement in principle that something had to change, yet no tangible progress has followed.

“Now, the matter has again been formally raised through the Integrated Development Plan process. This is an opportunity for the city to demonstrate whether it is serious about longterm planning, or content to remain trapped in a costly cycle of reaction. This is not just about cables, it is about governance.”

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