The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tshwane is concerned that the current state of our City’s electrical grid has reached a breaking point. A dangerous combination of aging infrastructure, inadequate safety measures, and targeted criminal activity is leaving our communities in the dark and at risk.
This festive season, two substations in the City of Tshwane have burned down, leaving communities in the dark, first the Olievenhoutbosch Substation in Centurion and yesterday the Koedoespoort Substation in the Moot.
In recent months, we have seen an alarming surge in substation fires across the metro. These are not merely technical glitches; they are catastrophic failures that result in prolonged blackouts, damaging local businesses and compromising the safety of residential neighborhoods. Each fire further weakens an already strained electricity grid, leading to a “domino effect” of infrastructure instability.
Investigations into these incidents have over time revealed a systemic failure in preventative maintenance. Many of our substations lack modern fire suppression systems, functional smoke detection, or even basic physical firebreaks. Without these essential protections, a small electrical fault, which should be contained, rapidly escalates into a total infrastructure loss.
Just a few days ago, Olievenhoutbosch Substation was engulfed by fire due to cable theft.
Before being removed from government, the DA, under the leadership of Mayor Cilliers Brink, budgeted for the needed protection for substations to prevent fires. There was also a budget and plan to move the City’s protection of physical assets away from static security guarding to technological early detection mechanisms linked to armed response.
The ANC took the first opportunity to reallocate these funds to water tankers and security companies linked to the Deputy Executive Mayor.
It is now time that the ANC government prioritises the residents of Tshwane and puts stabilising the electricity grid above their patronage networks.
The DA will be writing to the City Manager to:
- Immediately assess fire protection systems at all major substations and install automated suppression technology.
- Implement 24/7 remote monitoring at high-risk sites to deter theft and vandalism.
- Establish a dedicated task force to track and prosecute those responsible for destroying City infrastructure.
The residents of this City have reached the limit of their patience, and the DA will continue to stand with them until solutions are found.