Eskom repairs underway after major infrastructure vandalism
Until the secondary lines are back in service, the electricity supply will remain unstable. Residents should prepare for more interruptions.
Persistent power supply interruptions are still forecasted for eMalahleni.
Residents can brace themselves for some more power interruptions while Eskom is busy restoring the vandalised infrastructure.
In December, vandlists targeted the Eskom pylons, which form part of the critical bulk infrastructure originating from the Vulcan Transmission Station, the lifeline for Doornpoort, Buffer, Grobler, and KwaGuqa (132kV).
Witbank SAPS appeals for the public’s help in urgently reporting any damage, theft, or vandalism of essential infrastructure, especially electricity-related infrastructure
Read more here: https://t.co/JvERqy6FOO#witbanknews #witbank #localnews— WitbankNews (@WitbankN) January 19, 2026
This resulted in the city receiving electricity from the power giant through only one supply line instead of the normal ring system.
It means that if one path fails, electricity can be rerouted through the other. another. However, due to the damage sustained, the ring is broken.
This lack of backup capacity means the system is under extreme strain and can not handle fluctuations, resulting in the intermittent and prolonged outages experienced over the past few days.
The word from the municipal media desk is that they are in constant contact with Eskom while work is being done on the damaged pylons.
Breaking news at your fingertips … Follow WITBANK NEWS on our website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok
Chat to us: info@witbanknews.co.za
