KAROO NEWS - Anton Bredell, Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning today said the Provincial Disaster Management Centre is planning and coordinating essential services for a prolonged electricity outage in 10 Central Karoo towns and their surrounding areas.

“We are working closely with Eskom to provide any assistance possible to repair the powerline that collapsed on Saturday evening in the Karoo. Eskom informed us that the repair project is complex, and although they are working as fast as possible, repairs will most likely take several days.” 

The outage was caused when seven Eskom electricity pylons located beteen Touwsriver and Laingsburg collapsed on Saturday evening. Currently, the Western Cape towns of Roggeveld, Laingsburg, Ladismith, Leeugamka, Swartberg, Merweville, Matjiesfontein, Prince Albert are affected. Fraserburg and Sutherland in the Northern Cape are also affected.

Bredell said the provincial government will focus on essential services, such as drinking water and wastewater systems in the affected communities, as well as the functioning of public services, such as hospitals and schools during this outage period. “We need to ensure our hospitals and schools have water and that they have sufficient diesel to run generators. We are also sending generators to institutions that do not currently have generators.

The following generators are being dispatched for critical service delivery:
•A 100 kVA generator from the Overberg District Municipality is currently being installed in Laingsburg for Water Treatment.
•A 45 kVA generator from the Garden Route District Municipality is being installed in Matjiesfontein for water today.
•A 100 kVA generator from Bitou municipality for water provision in Prince Albert today.

The following generators will be dispatched for installation in central business areas:
•A 650 kVA generator from the Western Cape Department of Health in Prince Albert.
•A 350 kVA generator from the Western Cape Department of Health in Laingsburg.
•A 315 kVA generator from Eskom in Laingsburg.
•A 315 kVA from Eskom in Prince Albert.
•A 315 kVA generator from Eskom in Ladismith.

“At our Joint Operations Meeting this morning, Eskom confirmed that specialist teams are currently on route to the site, and abnormal vehicles are preparing to transport the needed materials and equipment to the Karoo. “Our traffic services are assisting with the logistics of this project to avoid any holdups with this part of the repair project,” Bredell said.
Bredell asked the cooperation of all affected communities. “We acknowledge your frustration and anxiety. We are working as fast as possible with your safety and wellbeing central to each action we take.”

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