Residents of Ashley Gardens and Alphen Park in Pretoria East are facing prolonged power outages due to cable theft under the N1 highway, with the City of Tshwane warning of complex repairs ahead. A past incident of cable theft in Pretoria West. Picture: Bongani Shilubane/ African News Agency (ANA)
RAPULA MOATSHE
Residents of Ashley Gardens and Alphen Park in Pretoria East, already experiencing power outages since Sunday, may face further prolonged disruptions due to the theft of cables in the tunnel under the N1 highway.
On Tuesday, the City of Tshwane warned that repairs to the damaged cable could be significantly delayed due to the complexity of the work, which is being compounded by the challenging location of the stolen cables.
Municipal spokesperson, Lindela Mashigo said: “The location of the site where the replacement of cables and repair work needs to be effected is underneath the N1 highway, thus making the task at hand to be intricate.”
He said progress has been made, including pinpointing multiple faults on the network and isolating them.
“Currently, the City's Emergency Services Department is conducting a risk assessment to determine the situation's safety. Adherence to safety measures is a must when installing and maintaining cables in order to protect the team on site, the public and the environment against any potential hazard,” he said.
He reassured residents that the City is fully committed to expediting the repair process, while also emphasising that the affected area requires careful attention due to its complex nature.
“Residents are therefore informed that it will take longer to complete the repair work due to the location of the faulty area, that is underneath the N1 Highway. The estimated time of restoration is yet to be determined and will be communicated in due course,” Mashigo said.
The City strongly condemned the theft and vandalism of its infrastructure, appealing to community members to report any such incidents to the authorities.
In a related development, the Pretoria Magistrates Court faced a power outage on Monday, prompting the activation of a backup generator to provide a temporary power solution.
In light of the situation, cases were postponed until further notice and members of the public assisted manually, according to the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development spokesperson Kgalalelo Masibi.
rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za
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