Residents of Reiger Park in Boksburg have been left in darkness following vandalism at a substation in the area on Tuesday morning.
The incident, which left Chocolate Valley, Reiger Park, Ramaphosa and Delmore without electricity, occurred between 06h00 and 07h00.
The City of Ekurhuleni is attending to the problem and so far, the projection is that the power should be restored within the next seven days.
“Vandals gained access to the substation by digging a trench under the facility. They proceeded to fiddle with the equipment which led to a fire that destroyed all the equipment inside the substation causing a blackout to some parts of Boksburg,” says metro spokesman Zweli Dlamini.
“The city condemns such acts of vandalism in the strongest terms possible. Many innocent ratepayers are now in the dark during such cold weather conditions owing to this senseless thuggery.”
The destroyed equipment includes the panels, switchgear and some cables and the estimated repair cost is R5 million.
“When our team responded to the incident on Tuesday, they found blood stains on site, which clearly indicates that the intruders were injured in the process,” explains Dlamini.
The City has already cleared the debris and obtained new panels. The substation itself is being repaired for any structural damages and once this is concluded, the new equipment will be installed, tested and then the switching-on process will get underway.
The incident has been reported to the police and investigations are underway. Information regarding this act of crime can be forwarded to the authorities via 0860 54 3000 or the SAPS’ 10111.
The City also appeals to members of the public to help protect municipal infrastructure. They must report any suspicious activity to 0860 54 3000.
