The Msunduzi municipality, in KZN, has set aside R10.6 million to address ongoing power outages in the district.
|||The Msunduzi municipality has set aside R10.6 million to address power outages in the district, but the theft of electricity cables and the vandalism of infrastructure continue to present major challenges.
This was according to a progress report presented on Tuesday by the acting electricity process manager, Sewdutt Nagasar, during an infrastructure services portfolio committee meeting.
In addition, the Independent Development Trust – a development agency that offers programme management and development advisory services to government departments and other development partners – also presented an assessment report on the municipality’s electricity infrastructure, operation and state of maintenance. The trust was appointed by the council’s executive committee in December to undertake the study.
Nagasar said in his report that the power outages in the Hilton suburb were being addressed with the upgrading of power lines.
A contract had also been awarded for the testing, maintenance and the updating of substations and switch houses. Nagasar said that businesses in the Willowton industrial area had also experienced major power outages due to cable theft.
Overhead conductors and cables were regularly stolen in the Copesville and Mattison, while Wembley was also recently without electricity due to cable theft.
According to the trust’s report, limited or no maintenance was being done in the municipality because of of insufficient funding and a lack of resources.
Immediate action and implementation strategies included the compilation of a survey of the total Msunduzi electricity infrastructure for submission to the Energy Department, which would form the basis for future electricity infrastructure investment.
Also, a comprehensive maintenance plan would be compiled with the assistance of the trust’s engineers.
The report added: “An urgent revenue recovery initiative is required.
This will help the municipality to move into the positive cash-flow scenario and use its own funding to address some of the challenges.” - The Mercury