Somerset West and Strand residents experienced a widespread power outage, affecting some areas for up to 24 hours, after vandals attacked the Lourens Rivier substation last Tuesday night (6 August).
Eskom, in a statement, condemned the ongoing theft and vandalising of its infrastructure, particularly because it is hindering service delivery, major projects and power restoration efforts. Repair crews responded early on the Wednesday morning, assessed the damage and began repairs.
To combat this issue, Eskom has introduced a reward system for information leading to the arrest of the culprits. The public is urged to report incidents to the Eskom hotline or local authorities. Members of the public can report incidents via the toll-free hotline 0800 11 27 22 or to police.
The City of Cape Town also assisted with restoration efforts and by 13:00 the following day (Wednesday) Somerset West residents had their power restored, while Strand residents had theirs restored by 18:00 that evening.
