‘Does Tshwane want to see us dead before fixing power grid?’, asks resident
The residents in Garsfontein and surrounds often have to experience 60-70 hours of no power in a week, which is a struggle for people living with chronic illnesses.
Constant power outages in parts of the east of Pretoria have become frightening for residents who rely on electrical oxygen machines to breathe.
A Garsfontein resident who is dependent on an oxygen machine is concerned about her life as the area she resides is being frustrated by constant power outages.
The resident says it has been a battle since the start of the year.
Residents in Garsfontein and surrounds often have to experience 60-70 hours of no power a week.
Mariette Swanepoel (61), living with cancer and dependent on a breathing machine, is calling on the Tshwane metro to urgently refurbish its electrical infrastructure as power outages can cause death.
“Does Tshwane want to see us dead before they fix the problem?” Swanepoel asked.
She said the impact of the outages on people dependent on oxygen machines could be severe during long power outages.
Long periods without oxygen can result in loss of consciousness, hospitalisation and depending on the medical condition, can be life-threatening.
Swanepoel recalls the struggles faced in Garsfontein by people living with medical conditions.
“It is terrible because you can suffocate to death if your machine is off. The power outages sometimes are daily making our lives miserable.”
Swanepoel said she had an operation to remove a tumour, hence she is now dependent on the breathing machine.
“After undergoing surgery to remove a tumour on February 17 at Wilgers Hospital, I am now reliant on a breathing machine to survive,” she said.
The operation has left her requiring oxygen therapy 24/7.
“I spent 20 days in hospital, including 10 days in ICU and another 10 days in hospital recovery before returning home, where I must continue to use the oxygen machine 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,” she added.
She says the power outages have forced her to buy an emergency oxygen tank.
“The emergency oxygen tank only lasts for 8 hours whereas I have to be on the machine all the time. It’s impossible to afford three emergency bottles of oxygen for 24 hours.”
She said the oxygen bottles cost about R2 400 per day.
“Where will I get the money? We pay our rates and taxes but Tshwane fails to maintain its infrastructure, which affects us.”
“Service delivery is poor, we have power failures at least twice or three times a week, I need oxygen 24/7 and it is not sustainable for me to cope without power. Tshwane is useless. They don’t care about us, but we must pay rates and taxes.”
Xander Loubser, a paramedic and health practitioner, highlighted the critical challenges posed by power outages for patients relying on oxygen concentrators.
“We frequently receive calls from patients struggling to breathe due to power outages, and we do our best to provide oxygen. However, our resources are limited, and we prioritise essential use.”
Loubser emphasised the gravity of the situation, stating that power outages can be life-threatening for patients with lung issues or chronic conditions.
He said patients with lung problems cannot survive without concentrated oxygen. “When their machine shuts off due to a power outage, they must breathe in normal oxygen, which can lead to respiratory distress or even cardiac arrest.“
He explained that patients with lung problems during power outages and when their breathing machines are off, often take deeper breaths and use other muscles to compensate for the lack of oxygen, causing stress and increasing their oxygen demands.
“While some oxygen-dependent patients can survive for a few hours without their machine, the severity of their condition determines their vulnerability.”
In emergency situations, Loubser’s team transports patients to hospitals, where they receive oxygen administration until power is restored.
“Our plan is to take patients to the necessary departments for oxygen administration until they can safely return home.”
Ward 45 councillor Elizabeth Basson said the power outages in Garsfontein have worsened.
“For the last two years I have been requesting for the refurbishment of Garsfontein substation, but now the situation has become critical as prolonged power outages cause the whole substation to trip and has become almost a daily occurrence.”
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the power outages are caused by faulty medium voltage ring feeder (MV RF) cables and terminations, leading to power outages.
“Theft and damage/vandalism to cables have exacerbated the situation.”
He said intentional damage and vandalism to the Garsfontein Substation has contributed to the increased number of power outages.
“Due to the vandalism in Garsfontein Substation, the electrical network protection is compromised, which causes the entire substation to trip when a fault occurs on a single MV RF cable network.”
Mashigo said the refurbishment and repairs of Garsfontein Substation will be prioritised by the city.
“The request for funding for the necessary electrical network upgrade has been submitted and we are hoping that such funding will be prioritised by the city,” said Mashigo.
“Faulty MV RF cables, terminations, and stolen/damaged MV RF cables are repaired as and when they occur,” he added.
Mashigo said it is advisable that where possible, customers who require high care to consider opting for backup electricity supply from renewables for in case there are unplanned power outages.
“Residents, particularly those with medical needs, are advised to consider alternative energy solutions at their own cost such as generators and or solar panels,” said Mashigo.
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