MSUKALIGWA – Vandalism of Msukaligwa Municipality’s infrastructure has escalated over the past week in Ermelo.

Highvelder recently reported about vandals that caused R1.5m worth of damages to four substations on October 1.

The amount of R1.5m has since gradually increased after two additional mini-substations were also vandalised over the past week.

Mr Mandla Zwane, the spokesman of the Msukaligwa Municipality said the team was busy with repairs in the industrial area near Saratoga.

They observed that after one of the mini-substations were vandalised the load on the municipal grid dropped drastically.

Mr Zwane said the municipality assumes that it was supplying electricity to a portion of New Ermelo illegally which could explain the strain on their electrical infrastructure.

“The parts that the municipality had to order to repair the mini-substations had to be ordered out of town, as there are no suppliers in Ermelo,” he said.

The parts were only delivered three days after the incident, leaving residents without electricity during that time.

Aside from the vandalised mini-substations the Northern Water Treatment Works’ 350 air valve was also recently vandalised.

Read the municipality’s appeal to residents in the Highvelder newspaper.