By Jacques Barnard | DA Councillor Metsimaholo Municipality
Note to editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Linda Day and Sesotho soundbite by Jafta Mokoena MPL with picture here
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is taking decisive action to address the prolonged power outages in Sasolburg, which have left residents enduring blackouts lasting several days. These disruptions are the direct result of the Metsimaholo Municipality’s failure to conduct mandatory inspections and maintenance on its electrical infrastructure, as required by law.
Critical legislation has been disregarded, including the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) regulations, the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), and the South African National Standard (SANS). This blatant non-compliance underscores the municipality’s lack of commitment to its legal obligations and the welfare of its residents.
The absence of a functional ring feed system has compounded the crisis. A ring feed system enables swift restoration of power by isolating affected areas and rerouting electricity from alternative substations within four hours. However, the lack of this essential infrastructure leaves residents vulnerable to outages lasting up to four days when cable faults or vandalism damage substations. This neglect has placed an unnecessary and avoidable burden on the community, disrupting livelihoods and exposing a significant governance failure.
The DA will intensify its efforts to hold the municipality accountable and demand the immediate implementation of statutory inspections and maintenance of Sasolburg’s electrical infrastructure. Furthermore, we will advocate for the installation of a ring feed system to ensure that power can be restored promptly in future incidents.
The prolonged outages and lack of urgency from the municipality highlight a deeper issue of political apathy. The DA remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that residents receive reliable electricity and the quality of service they pay for. We call on the Metsimaholo Municipality to prioritise compliance with national regulations and take the necessary steps to improve its electrical infrastructure. By doing so, the community can be spared further hardships caused by these avoidable outages.