Residents at a home for the disabled and a retirement home in Gqeberha were spared a potentially dire situation due to swift action by the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber’s disaster response team, following a major power outage caused by gale-force winds.
On August 23, four high-voltage pylons, compromised by severe rust, toppled over, leaving 14 suburbs without power, including key points such as Cheshire Homes and Kinghurst Retirement Apartments.
Both homes, which rely heavily on electricity for essential services like charging electric wheelchairs, phones, and medical alert systems, were at significant risk. However, the intervention of local business leaders played a crucial role in mitigating the impact.
Angus Clark, a plant engineer from Isuzu South Africa, and Christiaan Theron, the South African operations executive at Aspen Pharmaceuticals, stepped in to help by installing generators at both Cheshire Homes and Kinghurst Retirement Apartments.
“We continue to be amazed by the incredible way our members step up and volunteer to assist whenever there is a crisis. This is a testament to the commitment of our local business community in being part of the solution to drive positive change in Nelson Mandela Bay,” said Chamber Chief Executive, Denise van Huyssteen.
“Both Angus and Christiaan have gone beyond the call of duty to ensure that the elderly, who are among the most vulnerable in our community, are able to continue to get oxygen supply, usage of electronic wheelchairs, and other critical support. In addition to this, on an ongoing basis, they both serve on our Electricity Task Team and are actively involved in collaboration efforts with the Municipality and other stakeholders to drive for the stability and reliability of electricity supply.”
Clark said the Chamber got involved after reaching out to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality to offer its assistance immediately after the pylons collapsed.
“The following day, we then received feedback from the director of electrical distribution dealing with the power outage to extend our support to the two homes. From there, the wheels were set in motion and we received positive feedback from various companies who immediately offered their assistance,” Clark explained.
Isuzu Motors South Africa hired a 450KVA generator and cabling, which was installed at Cheshire Homes and switched on after completion. After being briefed about where the generator would be installed, Power Co discounted the price for hire, allowing the team to move swiftly with the installation and commissioning.
Northfield Engineering sponsored the rigging, crane truck, and transportation to both sites.
Another company which offered its support was Auto X, who came on board and arranged for diesel supply for both generators until the power outage has been resolved.
Clark helped with installing the generator at Cheshire Homes, while Theron oversaw the installation and commissioning of a 700KVA emergency generator, which was sponsored by Himonsa SA, at Kinghurst Retirement Apartments.
“We installed and commissioned the emergency generator on August 25. It was up and running at 20:00, supplying the apartments in the apartment block. The general lighting and the lift were attended to by the apartment block’s service provider. Auto-X continued to top-up the diesel until the power outage was resolved,” said Theron.
