Central SA
Mahikeng without water, electricity after substation fire─── 09:05 Sun, 30 Apr 2023
Eskom in North West says some suburbs and villages in Mahikeng will be without electricity for at least three days after its substation in Golf View caught fire on Friday night.
This has also affected the supply of water from the Mahikeng water treatment plant.
The power utility says it is investigating the cause of the fire but cannot rule out the possibility of tampering with its infrastructure, according to SABC News.
Ezekiel Baruti, a spokesperson for Eskom, said the medium voltage control room is badly burnt. "This is where all the cables from the high voltage side connect to the switchgear to supply various suburbs and villages. At this point in its initial assessment, Eskom cannot rule out human tampering, but thorough investigations will follow."
He said it would take Eskom at least three days to fully restore power to all affected areas.
Meanwhile, Mahikeng residents were informed on Saturday (29/4) that water supply from the Mahikeng water treatment plant has been suspended due to the substation fire.
The spokesperson for Magalies Water, David Magae, said operations at the plant will remain suspended until the electricity supply has been restored.
During this period, some areas in the municipality will experience water supply interruptions.
He cautioned residents to use water sparingly to prevent prolonged water supply challenges.
