For the third year in a row, criminals have targeted a major electricity cable supplying power to KwaNobuhle, leaving the township in the dark.
The Kariega township is expected to remain without electricity for at least two weeks after the 66kV cable in a manhole on the Mabandla Bridge was damaged on Tuesday, allegedly by thieves.
In May 2023, the municipality lost one of the two 66kV feeders supplying power to the township due to vandalism.
In April 2024, the second cable was destroyed, leaving the township running on a single cable.
Now the remaining 66kV feeder cable has been destroyed.
Video footage circulating on social media on Tuesday showed thick black smoke and flames coming out of the manhole on the Mabandla bridge.
Mayor Babalwa Lobishe had deployed her team of mayoral committee members to Kariega on Tuesday as part of a mayoral blitz called the Siyasebenza Campaign.
Infrastructure and engineering political head Buyelwa Mafaya was joined at the Mabandla bridge by electricity and energy political head Ziyanda Mqokoyi.
They also visited the Mqolomba mini substation, which was vandalised two weeks ago, and the Matanzima substation.
The electricity and energy directorate’s acting executive director, Tholi Biyela, said it would take at least two weeks to restore power to KwaNobuhle, adding that the 66kV cable was not readily available and had to be ordered.
“We’re still consolidating the options and we’re looking at the easiest and quickest options to get customers back online.
“These are two 66kV cables coming from San Souci Souza, feeding the Mabandla substation.
“We’ve spoken to the actual service provider and we’re just waiting for their escalation report.”
Biyela said work would start as soon as the contractor confirmed the cable was available.
“We need to have specified measurements for specific joints and as soon as that’s confirmed, two weeks is the minimum time.”
Biyela said the municipality would have to spend about R1.7m to get the township back online.
He said Lobishe had instructed the department to open a case of vandalism.
“We’re going to do everything we can to get all affected back online.”
Lobishe also visited the Kariega central business district to check on residents who had been affected by the June and October floods.
Reynecke Road resident Fatima September, 79, complained about street light poles that were on the verge of collapsing.
A light in front of her house was leaning over, with the cable connecting to her house loose and hanging just above her driveway.
“This is a disaster waiting to happen. There is no cement holding the pole.
“This is dangerous and if a fire were to break out, the insurance will say it’s the municipality’s fault.
“This has been going on for more than a year,” September said.
“You phone the municipality, and they say they’ll come but no-one comes and yet we’re paying our rates.”
In Market Street, Russells Furniture Store manager Evadne Erasmus complained about the paving in front of the store, saying customers were at risk of tripping and falling.
Erasmus said the paving had been washed away by the June floods and since then the municipality had not done anything.
“No-one gives us answers about what is going on. The sand washes away with every rain and it’s extremely dangerous for the customers.”
Lobishe responded to the residents’ concerns, saying work would be done within the next seven days.
“We’ve asked the [Mandela Bay] Development Agency to send their people today for assessment so they can give us a report of when we can start here.
“We’ve got seven days to clear some of the issues here,” she said.
The Herald
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