Large parts of Vanderbijlpark will most probably be left without power for quite some time after Monday night’s fire at a large substation in Curie Boulevard.
The affected areas include the old part of Vanderbijlpark as well as the small holdings where approximately 12 000 families reside.
It is likely that most of these families do not own generators and will be forced to discard perishable foodstuffs. It will deal a severe and needless financial blow to residents who are already struggling to make ends meet.
The Emfuleni Local Municipality (Evaton, Sebokeng, Vaal Oewer, Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging) probably also does not have the funds needed to repair the substation.
The fire destroyed basically all the substation’s electric components. The Municipality’s Electricity Department has already started removing the damaged parts.
The biggest concern is replacing the damaged electric panels as they are not off-the-shelf items. The panels have to be ordered from specific suppliers.
On top of that, the Municipality already owes the specialised company contracted to work on the substation more than R4,5 million – which poses an additional financial challenge.
The FF Plus has asked the Municipality to settle the contractor’s outstanding account to ensure that the affected areas’ power is restored as soon as possible.
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