Polokwane business blames 1950’s power lines for costly damage

POLOKWANE – A citrus degreening company in Laboria, ICE Refrigerator, has threatened to take legal action against the Polokwane Municipality for delays in addressing persistent power line issues that are damaging the company’s machinery.

The company’s Tina Reynolds expressed concern about frequent power outages caused by power lines that are particularly susceptible to weather disturbances. They claim that the municipality has failed to fix the issue permanently.

Reynolds explained that these power outages are causing significant losses, both in terms of damaged machines, which are worth millions of rand, and wasted materials that cannot be reused.

“When processing is interrupted, it cannot continue, which results in all of the product being wasted, leading to financial loss. The power line was last installed in the 1950s and has never been upgraded. We suspect that this is the root cause of the problem,” she said.

In response to the complaint, Matshidiso Mothapo, head of communications at the municipality, indicated that the outages might be linked to an unregistered solar photovoltaic (PV) system installation, which was detected via the municipality’s Geographic Information System (GIS) aerial imagery.

He explained that the property’s Conlog meter trips automatically when an unregistered solar system feeds electricity back into the municipal grid. To resolve the issue, Mothapo suggested that the company register the solar installation and apply for a bi-directional meter.

However, ICE Refrigerator clarified that the solar PV system in question was for personal use at a nearby home, not for business purposes at their factory.

Meanwhile, ICE Refrigerator and other businesses in Laboria, Ladine, and Ladanna are facing further challenges with waste removal. Despite paying nearly R2 000 for regular waste collection, ICE Refrigerator and other companies have resorted to managing their waste independently after the municipality ceased collection services.

Reynolds said they now dispose of the waste themselves at the Silicon site, incurring additional costs.

At another establishment paying around R2 300 monthly, the municipality was reminded to resume waste collection.

Mothapo responded, stating that the municipality was not aware of these service interruptions.

“To our knowledge, all areas are receiving services as scheduled. If any business is experiencing challenges, we urge them to formally report the matter to the municipality so that our relevant teams can investigate and resolve it promptly.”

Businesses or residents experiencing disruptions in services, can contact the municipality for assistance: 015 290 2190 or 015 290 2180.