This comes as good news for residents of the area who were hit by numerous frustrating power outages in the past year. According to Councillor Peter Verbeek, Ward Councillor for Emfuleni Local Municipality’s Ward 10, the understanding is that this substation located on Curie Boulevard will be upgraded over a period of three years.

“As there are three bays, this will entail an upgrade per bay per annum as of this financial year. This correlates with Phase 1, 2 and 3. In other words, for three years R20 million will be invested in the Vanderbijlpark Town Substation each year giving a cumulative total of R60 million that Emfuleni Local Municipality will invest to upgrade this sub-station,” says Verbeek.

These plans were officially announced during an Emfuleni Special Council Meeting held on Wednesday, October 14 under Item A4310: Implications of the 2020/2021 Special Adjustment Budget on the 2020/2021 Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and 2020/2021 Service Delivery Budget Implementation Plan. It states on page 80: “Upgrading of Town Substation – Phase 1” with a budget of R20 million. Councillor Verbeek says he would like to thank everyone for their time and support that culminated in a three-year upgrade of the sub-station. “It has been a very long two years from November 2018 when the sub-station exploded for the first time!”

He would like to thank in particular:

• The residents of the CW areas, Bophelong and Emfuleni for their unwavering support;

• The 1 156 members of the Emfuleni community that had signed the petition for this upgrade as this provided the basis upon which questions to, and in Emfuleni Council kept the issue alive within the Municipality, the Council and its Committees;

• Fellow Ward Councillor, Cllr Thembile Nquba, and Ntate Hope Themba of Bophelong for their repeated presence when Curie Boulevard was off; • Fellow Ward 10 Ward Committee Members, especially Mr Dawie Jordaan for his tandem-team work. “You allowed me the possibility of eating and getting some sleep,” says Councillor Verbeek;

• Mr Martin du Preez for conducting email correspondence with officials of all three spheres of government, all the newspapers and other possible interested parties. “Your technical expertise as well as your personal drive have finally paid off.”;

• Thanks also go to Councillors across the political spectrum that visited Curie Boulevard when it was off and added their voice for an upgrade. “To all residents: We have done it together! As Ward Councillor it has humbled me in serving this community,” says Councillor Verbeek.