Power utility Eskom is reportedly working around the clock to restore power to several areas in the Western Cape after storms wreaked havoc two weeks ago.
Severe weather conditions at the beginning of May led to evacuations, floods, gale-force winds, and many other disasters. About 150 000 people were affected and eleven lives lost.
The Western Cape Government met with Eskom, Agri Western Cape, Provincial Departments, and district municipalities, through the Provincial Disaster Management Centre, this week to discuss progress on mop-up operations and the restoration of essential services to affected communities across the province.
Eskom reported that the storms resulted in 200 major trips on its network, leading to a total of 9 000 reported faults.
Approximately 70% of all faults have since been restored, but the remaining 30% pose significant challenges, as some areas remain submerged under floodwater.
High-voltage pylons were destroyed in difficult-to-reach mountain areas, and some secondary lines needed to be completely redesigned after the original infrastructure was destroyed.
A call for patience
Anton Bredell said that Eskom and all stakeholders are working around the clock to repair essential infrastructure as quickly as possible.
“As soon as power is restored in one area, Eskom redirects those resources to other communities in need.”
“We understand that some communities have been without electricity for almost two weeks and that people are frustrated.”
“We ask the public to remain patient and to support officials who have been working under extremely difficult conditions to restore power across the province,” he added.
Other damage
The Department of Infrastructure reported that 400 roads across the province were affected and that 61% of these have been restored so far.
The Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning has also issued approvals enabling emergency construction work in areas that would typically require formal environmental authorisation processes.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Development reported that humanitarian relief efforts are continuing across the province where needed, in partnership with non-governmental organisations.
