The Wolmer 132kv substation, which was vandalised by armed criminals on the night of Sunday, May 19 in Onderstepoort is being repaired.
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said a technical team from the energy and electricity department (EED) was dispatched to assess the extent of the damage and start the repair process on Monday.
He said the process included replacing faulty cables and continued until Tuesday.
“After completing the repair work, another cable fault was identified around 06:30 within the substation yard, which affected the restoration of electricity to Winternest and Clarina,” said Mashigo.
He said around 13:00, four more underground cable faults were discovered on the network rings, which further delayed the process of restoring electricity to Clarina.
Mashigo said the EED team immediately began trenching a section of the N4 Willem Cruywagen Bridge to access a suspected faulty cable, which is currently being repaired.
“All necessary materials have been obtained, and the repair work is currently underway.”
Image: City of Tshwane
He added the metro was informed that the on-site electricity team is facing harassment, intimidation and threats from some community members.
“The metro apologises for the distress caused to the affected residents and urges patience during this challenging period,” he said.
Mashigo said additional support units have been deployed to ensure that power is restored soon.
Ward 2 councillor Quentin Meyer said more police officers are needed around the substation.
This comes after the security guards at the substation were held at gunpoint by criminals who tied them up.
Meyer said the security company should put more measures in place to ensure that a similar incident does not happen again.
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