By Sbongile Nonyana
Tshwane was hit by a series of power outages, leaving most of the city in darkness on Thursday, 10 October.
Selby Bokaba, the City of Tshwane spokesperson, explained that the first power cut happened around midday when an explosion at the Bellom Substation caused a 132kv line to trip.
This affected the Skinner Street, River, and Edmond substations, which Bellom supplies.
“The CBD, Union Buildings, Arcadia, Sunnyside, Hatfield, Steve Biko Hospital, and other areas were left without electricity,” Bokaba said.
Later that evening, while workers were busy at Bellom, another explosion happened at the Kwagga Infeed Substation.
This substation powers several areas, including Atteridgeville, Pretoria North, The Orchards, Rosslyn, Soshanguve, Pretoria CBD, Pumulani, and Waltloo.
“Another team of technicians was dispatched immediately, and power was restored around 3am this morning,” Bokaba said.
Technicians worked throughout the night to restore power to most areas.
However, as of Friday morning, parts of Soshanguve were still in the dark due to theft and vandalism at the Block X Substation. This affected Blocks P, X, and Y.
Newly elected Tshwane mayor, Dr Nasiphi Moya, told residents on social media that power would be fully restored by the end of the day.
Pictured above: The substation on fire.
Source: Supplied
