City faces power crises as substations are repeatedly attacked

THE City of Tshwane is facing a crisis as its substations come under attack with multiple incidents of fires ravaging several municipal substations since October 2024.

- RAPULA MOATSHE

Executive Mayor Nasiphi Moya sounded the alarm over the escalating crisis following the recent fire incident at the Zwartkop substation in Centurion on Tuesday.

Residents in areas like Clubview, Valhalla, and Thaba Tshwane have been left without power for nearly a week due to the substation explosion.

On Saturday, the City announced that technical teams have made significant progress, completing over 90% of the repair work.

The latest incident comes after last month’ explosion at the Brakfontein substation, which plunged residents into darkness for days.

Moya described the situation as “not normal,” highlighting that fires have previously occurred at other substations such as Pyramid, Watloo, Nyala, and Kwagga, adding that a preliminary report showed a lack of security at the facilities.