Ekurhuleni mayor says city working to restore power in Kwa-Thema

Protesting residents barricaded all entrances and exits to the area with stones and burning tyres on Monday in a protest over prolonged power outages.

Residents says only one transformer provides electricity to the entire township, resulting in outages of up to 16 hours a day.

But Campbell says load shedding has caused extensive damage to one of the two transformers that service the area.

"This, coupled with illegal connections has been the root cause of the outage.

“Poor weather conditions have delayed the energy department from testing the 25MVA transformer to ensure that it is in full working order before switching the live feedback on," says Campbell.

At the same time, she condemned the vandalism and destruction of municipal infrastructure.

"Communities need to take ownership of these assets and safeguard them as they are crucial to service delivery.

“I urge all residents of Kwa-Thema to exercise their rights in a non-violent manner and within the ambit of the law.”

She says two MMCs have been deployed to the area.

Meanwhile, Ekurhuleni metro police spokesperson Kelebogile Thepa says the protest has slowed down due to the rainy weather.

"The protest has subsequently slowed down as a result of rain and exhaustion from participants. As it stands, EMPD is still monitoring the situation on the ground together with the South African Police Services.

“We do confirm that roads are still closed, and we advise motorists to avoid them at all costs. We also heard updates that on the M17 there was a bit of mayhem but our officers have been deployed to ensure the safety and the free flow of traffic," says Thepa.

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