The Ekurhuleni Metro’s failure to do proper long-term planning is the root cause of the recent power outage that paralysed households and businesses in Germiston North.
The outage, triggered by the theft of the Croydon 132 kV cable supplying power to the primary substation in Germiston North, left more than 20 suburbs without electricity last week.
The real issue is that the Ekurhuleni Metro has no control over these outages, as power supply is still in Eskom’s hands.
The Metro should have entered into an agreement with Eskom years ago to gradually replace Eskom-owned infrastructure with Ekurhuleni’s own.
It would have afforded the Metro both the authority and ability to manage its own power supply, and resolve outages much faster. Instead, residents are at the mercy of Eskom’s delays, which sometimes last for days or even weeks.
In the opinion of the Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus), Germiston cannot afford to be plagued by constant large-scale power outages that negatively impact homes, schools, businesses and community safety.
It has become unsustainable to keep relying on Eskom’s old and unstable power network.
Years ago, the ANC-led Ekurhuleni administration failed to focus on long-term solutions, opting instead for short-term fixes rather than investing in structural solutions.
If a long-term programme had been implemented years ago, Germiston’s power supply would already have been stabilised. Instead, the city is now trapped in a vicious cycle of crisis management with no apparent way out.
The Freedom Front Plus calls on Ekurhuleni to urgently:
- Table a comprehensive plan with deadlines to take over Eskom infrastructure in Germiston and gradually transfer power supply networks into municipal hands.
- Invest in securing critical power infrastructure to prevent cable theft and vandalism.
- Engage with Eskom and draft transfer agreements that will ensure accountability when outages occur.
The residents of Malvern East, Wychwood, Primrose Hill, Dania Park, Simmerfield, Primrose, Dawnview, Fisher Hill, Solheim, Wilbart, Meadowbrook, Meadowdale, Sunnyridge, Sunnyrock, Symhurst, Gerdview, Homestead, Rustavia, Barvallen, Woodmere, Marlands, Primrose East, Germiston East and Tedstoneville deserve far better than endless excuses.
The Freedom Front Plus remains committed to seeking sustainable solutions that prioritise the people of Germiston.
