Power outages reported in Cassim Park and portions of Ermelo and Wesselton
The municipality apologised for the inconvenience caused to residents.
Residents have reported power outages in Cassim Park and certain areas in Ermelo and Wesselton on 28 April.
According to the Msukaligwa Municipality, it was due to multiple cable faults.
The affected areas included:
- A portion of Autumn Ridge (Ext 18)
- Cassim Park
- Tutu/Motau Streets
- Tienie Louw/Hennie Marais Streets
According to Mr Mandla Zwane, spokesman for the municipality, illegal connections and cable theft are the main contributors of unplanned power interruptions.
“The power supply interruptions occurred when community members connected illegally to the network which caused the transformer to overload.”
An overloaded circuit is the most common reason for a circuit breaker tripping.
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“When there are improper electrical connections of wires and the wires come into contact with water when it rains, it causes a power surge and the same thing happens with cable theft.”
He also said that unfavourable weather conditions prolong the time to find and repair the faulty cable(s).
This is not the first power outage residents have experienced in short intervals.
A mini-substation caught fire and caused a power outage that affected several households in Ermelo on 21 April.
Mr Mandla Zwane, the spokesman for the Msukaligwa Municipality, said the mini-substation caught fire because of overloading of the network due to illegal connections.
“Residents of the informal settlement near the abattoir connected electricity illegally,” Mr Zwane said.
The municipality apologised for the inconvenience caused to residents.
