A major backlog of electrical faults has affected multiple areas in Cape Town.
Eskom said on Monday that it was experiencing a ‘major backlog of faults in parts of the Cape Metropole as a result of factors including inclement weather conditions, theft and vandalism and illegal connections’.
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These areas include:
- Khayelitsha
- Grabouw
- Macassar
- Somerset West
- Eersterivier
- Kraaifontein
- Delft
- Belhar
- Wesbank
- Sir Lowry’s Pass
- Philippi
The power utility said teams were ‘working hard’ to restore supply to the affected areas.
Last week, Eskom suspended all services in Khayelitsha due to increased attacks on its teams, News24 reports. The last incident occurred on 9 June, when armed men assaulted a team in eNdlovini, in the south of Khayelitsha.
‘The team managed to escape during the unfortunate incident, however, their vehicle was damaged,’ Eskom said.
‘This disruption will cause delays in service delivery, potentially leading to extended periods without electricity for customers. Eskom will [work] with local authorities to investigate the incident thoroughly before determining when services can resume.’
‘The complainant and partner were fixing electricity poles at the mentioned address when he saw three armed men approaching them. He alerted his partner and they got in their vehicle and drove away,’ says Western Cape police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk.
The men reportedly opened fire, damaging the vehicle.
He adds that the investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made.
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Picture: Alexander Schimmeck / Unsplash