UPDATE: Roosevelt Park substation to be renovated
ROOSEVELT PARK – City Power says they are busy with a new plant design to upgrade and renovate the Roosevelt Substation and prevent another fire.
City Power is busy with a new plant design to upgrade and renovate the Roosevelt Park Substation. This is to prevent another fire, like the third and most recent fire that occurred this year on 18 September.
City Power spokesperson Syndey Mphahlele initially said that the cause was due to a cable fault, but later said that the cause of the fire is unknown and the incident is under investigation.
“It is still unclear on whether it might have been a case of arson,” said Mphahlele. Ward 88 councillor Pat Richards said on the day of the fire, a firefighter from Roosevelt Park Fire Station heard a big bang and felt the earth shaking as an explosion occurred.
Fire engines from Randburg and Rosebank fire stations also came to assist in putting out the fire and cooling down the area. The fire caused several suburbs in Ward 88 to be without electricity.
On 18 September residents protested en masse on Beyers Naudé Drive, blocking the busy road. Residents also paid regular visits to the substation to check on the matter, as late as 8pm. The protest remained peaceful.
According to Richards, the contractor was driving to the substation to work on the problem, and upon seeing a crowd of protesters, he felt threatened and turned his car around.
Resident Kelly Burns said on the Facebook page I Love Northcliff, “We are damned if we do nothing and damned if we try to do something. At least now city power is being made aware that we are furious.”
Sue Tyler also posted, “It seems in SA protesting is the only way to get anything done. City Power management will NOT reply to calls or speak to anyone… No one harmed the contractors. Did they burn tyres, cars, buildings or people? Wake up. This has been the fourth time the power station has burnt.”
DA Shadow Member of Mayoral Committee for Environment, Infrastructure and Service Delivery, Ward 101 councillor Ralf Bittkau said, “The first reference number was given at 10.05am on Friday and by Saturday afternoon following numerous calls to everybody including the MMC and the MD of City Power by residents and councillors, all of which were left without response, due to phones being switched off or just not answered, breaking point was reached.”
He added that the situation could have been avoided. “Firstly, they should never have cut back on planned maintenance as shown in their fourth quarter report. Secondly and more importantly, appropriate client relations and the right attitude by some management from the depot right up to the MD and the MMC with a dedication to service excellence, would have made all the difference,” he said.
Mphahele said the power was restored in all affected areas on 19 September, and, “City Power is currently busy with new plant designs to upgrade and renovate the substation.”
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