Sol Plaatje Municipal Manager Thapelo Matlala, alongside Mayor Martha Bartlett and Speaker Dipuo Peters, has commended the decisive municipal action taken to drive major infrastructure upgrades across the region, acknowledging the vital support of the mayor, council and local community in bringing these key developments to fruition.
He said this at the unveiling of the new 20 MVA transformer at the Galeshewe Substation in Kimberley on Wednesday 19 August.
Concurrently, the local power grid received a substantial boost following the delivery of a new R21.7 million, 20 MVA transformer at the Galeshewe Substation. Operating on a single transformer since the winter of 2018, the substation’s capacity expansion was made possible through an Integrated National Electrification Programme (Inep) grant from the Department of Energy alongside dedicated capital allocations approved by the Sol Plaatje Council.
Matlala addressed the crucial infrastructure improvements implemented at the substation, emphasising how these developments have transformed local grid stability. Reflecting on the municipality’s history of service interruptions, Matlala noted that the municipality had effectively been “living on the edge” and experiencing “sleepless nights” due to the prolonged absence of an essential backup transformer following a major explosion roughly two years ago.
This lack of redundancy left the community highly vulnerable to severe outages, such as a recent instance where an exploded protector caused prolonged delays because a spare unit was out of stock and had to be sourced from Eskom.
Comprehensive solution addresses critical vulnerabilities
To resolve these recurring vulnerabilities, Matlala highlighted the procurement and installation of the new 20 MVA transformer, funded through the Inep grant alongside additional budget allocations approved by the Sol Plaatje Council – initially R9 million followed by over R12 million, bringing total project investment to approximately R21 million. Matlala emphasised that this infrastructure upgrade shifts the system to an N-1 operational configuration, establishing a reliable backup that allows maintenance to occur on one unit without interrupting power flow to the public.
The upgrade drastically shortens fault response times, prevents widespread blackouts and secures almost 90% of the area served through HA Morris Substation.
“The municipality is now robustly equipped to handle future growth and upcoming community electrification projects, reassuring residents that the local power network is finally secure and protected from major transformer-related failures,” Matlala said.
Investment in daily lives
Bartlett characterised the delivery and installation of the new 20 MVA transformer at the Galeshewe Substation as a decisive, practical investment in the daily lives of residents.
“The additional transformer unit provides vital operational flexibility and redundancy, significantly alleviating pressure on existing grid infrastructure during peak demand periods. It enables the municipality to perform necessary maintenance and resolve unexpected faults far more efficiently without subjecting surrounding businesses and households to major power disruptions,” she said.
Bartlett firmly asserted that reliable electricity is not a luxury but a fundamental service necessary to power local schools, local businesses, households and the broader economy. She stressed that the substation expansion extends far beyond stabilising existing connections; it actively enables regional growth by facilitating planned connections for approximately 300 new households across Marikana, Platfontein and Tshwaragano in the current financial year.
Upgrades at Newton Reservoirs
In an earlier statement, Bartlett expressed deep gratitude to residents for their cooperation during planned water interruptions, emphasising that community preparedness greatly assisted teams in executing bulk valve replacements and pipework upgrades at the Newton Reservoirs Complex.
During these maintenance periods, the municipality made it a compassionate priority to maintain emergency water supply to critical entities, including local hospitals, retirement homes and households hosting funerals. Bartlett framed the ongoing work under National Treasury’s R2.5 billion Budget Facility for Infrastructure (BFI) as a vital, shared investment embraced by the community to guarantee long-term access to stable, high-quality water.
Backed by the BFI investment, the Newton Reservoirs Complex has undergone extensive structural upgrades, with expenditure reaching R34.5 million (excluding VAT) on completed projects. These achievements include the removal of ageing fittings and the installation of new valves across all four primary reservoirs – the 102 megalitres (ML), 91 ML, 45 ML and 23 ML facilities – headlined by upgraded 1200mm bulk valves on the site’s largest 102 ML tank.
To drastically improve the city’s drinking water quality, a year-long sanitisation, cleaning and desludging campaign was successfully executed across the complex. Network reliability was further strengthened through the replacement of critical ageing pipes leading from the tower to high-lying distribution zones.
The municipality completed a R4 million perimeter security fence installation, with additional plans underway to construct a new guardhouse and install CCTV surveillance.
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