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The Democratic Alliance (DA) is in possession of documentation that shows that the electricity depot in Kempton Park is at breaking point, with electricians unable to fulfill basic functions such as repairing faulty cables.

Faulty cables reported as far back as January 2012, have still not been repaired.

In fact, a total of 55 faulty cables have not been repaired, many of which are high voltage cables.

When the Glen Marais substation exploded in June 2019, due to a lack of maintenance, the ANC-led City of Ekurhuleni could not provide electricity to Kempton Park residents because the cable from the Spartan substation to the Van Riebeeck Park substation had not been repaired since August 2018.

This led to the Van Riebeeck Park substation being unable to direct electricity to the Glen Marais substation feeder area and residents being without electricity for 6 days.

The DA has also discovered that only 60% of electricians and technicians at the depot have working vehicles and are at times forced to remain at the depot while they wait for vehicles to be repaired and watch the grass grow under vehicles in the depot yard.

Only one of five cherry pickers, which are used to provide access to raised areas and one of three crane trucks are working, basic equipment is old or faulty,
unsafe equipment is being used and there is a lack of basic tools, despite requests for new equipment having been made last year.

In addition to the electricians having to work without the necessary equipment, the buildings in which they operate are not in accordance with health and safety standards and the Department of Labour has declared their sleeping quarters unfit for habitation.

It is unacceptable that the electricians have to work under such horrific conditions and that the residents of Kempton Park are subjected to unnecessary power outages and an electricity infrastructure that is unsafe.

The DA has written to the National Energy Regulator to include these latest findings in its ongoing investigation into the City of Ekurhuleni and the Glen Marais substation fire.

Issued by DA