VEREENIGING.– Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) Executive Mayor, Hassan Mako, recently stepped in with an urgent engineering solution to safeguard Rand Water’s critical pumping infrastructure and maintain a steady water supply to local communities.

The emergency action followed an incident, last week, where a contractor working for Metsi-a-Lekoa damaged a high-voltage electrical cable during trenching work.

This disruption threatened the main power supply to the vital Rand Water pumping station, a facility crucial for water distribution across Gauteng and neighbouring provinces.

“Any prolonged interruption to its operation could therefore have consequences far beyond the immediate vicinity of Vereeniging,” ELM warned.

Municipal electricity teams reacted quickly, successfully diverting power through alternative lines to keep the pumps running and minimise disruption.

Upon being informed of the proposed shutdown required to repair the original cable, Mako directed the municipality’s technical teams and senior management to find an alternative approach that would allow the permanent work to proceed without interrupting the pumping station.

“We must fix the plane while it is in the air,” Mako said.

That approach required close co-ordination among municipal electricity engineers, senior management and the relevant national government stakeholders, including Eskom.

Mako, together with the Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation, David Mahlobo, the Special Advisor to the Minister of Electricity, Silas Zimu, and the Ward Councillor, Prudence Hlanyane, were on site to assess progress, engage the technical teams and ensure that the necessary interventions were being implemented.