Ward 22 Cllr Privi Makhan writes:

Following concerns raised about the recent frequency of power outages in the ward, I met with the KwaDukuza Electricity Department yesterday afternoon.

It was a productive engagement, with a shared commitment to stabilising supply over the upcoming season.

The department confirmed that the recent outages have been caused by isolated faults on the network. Mitigation measures are already under way, including the adjustment of protection settings and ongoing line-clearing to reduce the risk of future faults.

I would like to thank Elaleni Estate Manager, Ryan Streit, for his support. He has generously committed to making a set of emergency fuses available to KwaDukuza for the season. This will help avoid delays caused by procurement lead times and strengthen response times for repairs.

Throughout the year, several key upgrades have been implemented to improve reliability across the wider network:

•  Upgrades to the 11kV cables in Sheffield
•  Realignment of the 33kV cable at the uMhlali River crossing
•  An upgrade to the Imbonini cable, which supports broader network stability

My thanks once again to Ryan for his partnership and to the electricity officials for their transparency and cooperation.

I will continue to monitor progress closely and keep the community informed of any developments.

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