City Power moves to stabilise electricity supply

Residents of various suburbs in the Northside are likely to see a marked improvement in electricity supply soon as City Power completes the R1m installation of a new medium voltage overhead electricity line at the Ruimsig Switching Station.

According to City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena, the project is aimed at combating persistent power supply challenges, including overloading, theft, and vandalism.

“This intervention is designed to deter the rampant theft of underground copper cables and reduce the strain on the local electricity infrastructure in Honeydew, Laser Park, Wilgeheuwel, and surrounding suburbs,” says Mangena.

“Over the years, these areas have been plagued by extended outages, often caused by stolen or vandalised cables. This not only disrupted residential customers but also had severe implications for local businesses and schools.

“By shifting from underground copper to overhead aluminium lines, which hold little scrap value, we are taking a proactive step to mitigate these criminal acts and their costly consequences.”

City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava explained that technicians were forced to back-feed supply from adjacent substations due to cable theft, which placed additional strain on the overall network.

“This project represents a sustainable response to those challenges. We are confident that this will not only stabilise the power supply in the affected areas, but also strengthen our overall grid performance,” she said.

Ward 97 councillor Jacques Hoon welcomed the move, describing it as a long-awaited relief for the affected communities.

“This project will finally see a direct electricity supply route into Honey Park, while freeing up Wilgeheuwel’s fully allocated system from having to supply Honey Park.”

Hoon adds that the next step involves laying 10.2km of 300mm² aluminium cable via Nic Diederichs Road, which will add further redundancy and strengthen the medium-voltage backbone of the area.