Protests on R55 about power outages
The protest broke out around 07:00 with protesters burning tires on the road and bringing traffic on the R55 to a complete standstill.
Residents in Stone Ridge, Centurion, took to the streets on Wednesday morning to protest power outages in the area.
The protest broke out around 07:00 with protesters burning tires on the road and bringing traffic on the R55 to a complete standstill.
Rian Erasmus and his team from Scorpion Security were soon on the scene to try and calm the situation.
“The residents here are very frustrated with the power issues so the situation got quite heated,” said Erasmus.
By 09:00, the situation was under control and the traffic was flowing as usual.
Erasmus said cable theft was largely to blame for the frequent power outages.
“This has been going on for two months or so and seems to be getting worse every day.
“Residents are not getting any feedback from their councillors, so they are just getting more and more frustrated,” he said.
Residents in Heuwelsig, Raslouw and Monavoni bore the brunt of these outages.
Monavoni resident Sash Reddy said the situation was unacceptable.
“We do not know who to turn to anymore,” she said.
“The community is frustrated with these ongoing power outages. This morning, the power went off again at 03:30 and it’s due to cable theft,” Reddy said.
“On Monday morning the power went off at 03:00 for about 40 hours.
“The week before that they stole cables in the area again.
“Also, the infrastructure needs to be upgraded. There are too many trips at the substation because the load is too heavy for our area,” he said.
Cable theft is a major problem in Centurion, according to Lyttelton police station spokesperson Captain Dave Miller.
There are, however, things residents can do about the situation.
He advised residents to join a CPF and report any suspicious activities around their homes.
“The police can be contacted to verify if a person or a group of people seen digging in an area have the authorisation to do so.
Also read: Cable theft in Centurion a headache for residents
“The most common modus operandi is when thieves dig trenches to expose the underground cables, and then cut and remove them.
“Overline cabling is usually cut and then a vehicle is used to pull the cables down. This is more common in rural and isolated areas,” he said.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
