At least 118 mini-substations and 178 transformers have been damaged, vandalised and tempered with in Soweto within a space of a year.
It has so far cost Eskom R34.7m to replace 75 substations and over R2.2m to replace 38 transformers. All these were damaged between July 2021 and July this year. This high demand of these items has resulted in the power utility unable to meet demand in Gauteng as a results of illegal connections, theft as well as non-payment and purchasing of illegal electricity tokens, which is constantly on the rise, said Eskom Gauteng spokesperson Tumi Mashishi.
“The high number of incidents of electricity equipment failure has put a strain on Eskom’s ability to replace and restore supply to the affected areas across Gauteng. Eskom is experiencing challenges with limited stock levels of mini-substations and transformers because of a recorded exponential number of failed electricity equipment due to network overloading.
“We face high costs of equipment repairs or replacement, making it difficult for us to keep up with the power supply demand. Adding to the delays, which is a major concern to Eskom, are the frequent and increased number of incidents of road closures and protests which delay entry into areas where work needs to be conducted,” Mashishi said.
“We are not in a position to continuously replace mini-substations and pole-mounted transformers in areas where the residents are not paying for their electricity. Nonpayment of electricity does not only impact on the security of supply for paying customers, but also contributes to increased energy and revenue losses coupled with increased operational costs.”
He added that Eskom replaces mini-substations and pole-mounted transformers on a regular basis due to overloading caused by illegal connections.
“This is not sustainable, and not in line with Eskom’s revenue management practice and efforts to improve on its financial and operational objectives. Eskom has taken an approach to convert all the customers in Gauteng, including Soweto, to prepaid metering, to alleviate the high debt situation and to assist the customers to manage their electricity usage better,” she said.
malibaa@sowetan.co.za
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