Too much power to the people
Power volts in Fontainebleau left residents without power and with damage.
For the better part of two days residents in Fontainebleau were left in the dark after a substation in Cherry Road was producing an extremely high voltage.
According to Ward 99 Councillor Bruce Herbert residents were receiving 420 volts of power. “I told residents not to switch their mains back on before the problem had been fixed,” he said. “I was told by City Power that a generator was to be installed for the time being but I have no confirmation that this has happened. I have received hundreds of calls from residents. I unfortunately cannot just wave a magic wand and everything will be fixed, but I wish I had.”
Resident Nicholas Gray said he phoned City Power and at about 4.30pm they told him it was safe to put the power back on. “But it wasn’t because our appliances popped,” he said. “I still don’t know what the current stance is but I am too afraid to put the power back on.”
Resident Danuta Rawiewski said she had been without power for two days. “My computer is broken, my television and a fire started behind my stove, and now the stove is cracked,” she said. “I cannot work on my computer and it will lead to me losing financially.”
City Power engineering operations director Louis Pieterse and City Power spokesperson Sol Masolo did not respond at the time of going to print.
