The eThekwini Municipality electricity unit stated that in order to avoid civil unrest, the city needed to find R426 500 urgently to undertake outstanding corrective and reactive maintenance.
In a report presented to the eThekwini Full Council meeting, the electricity unit warned that the failure to provide a sustainable electricity supply could lead to potential health and safety hazards as well as civil unrest from aggrieved communities.
The unit also warned that during protests infrastructure, including that of the electrical unit, is damaged.
It warned in its report that if the transfer of funds is not granted, the internal staff will not cope as the maintenance (preventive and breakdown) backlog will increase due to aging infrastructure, vandalism, copper theft, and customers’ zero tolerance of long unplanned power outages.
The municipality’s Chief Financial Officer has been given the go-ahead by councillors to find unspent funding municipality-wide to provide the total budget required to undertake outstanding electricity projects in the electricity unit.
This includes additional funding of R335 million for the operating budget on street lighting and high mast, and the capital budget on high-mast installation and festive lighting in the amount of R52m over the next three financial years.
The electricity unit stated in its report that the Medium and Low Voltage (MV/LV) operations (maintenance works) have procured the services of competent electricians/artisans from 12 contractors to assist in undertaking preventive and reactive (breakdown) maintenance on the distribution network equipment.
The report stated that without the service of these contractors, the unit will fail to provide basic service (electricity) to customers. Contractor electricians have been deployed to carry out preventive and reactive maintenance on a daily basis. This was due to:
- Increased faults due to ageing infrastructure network;
- Increased cable theft and vandalism;
- increased customer service expectations;
- Quality of power supply;
- Increased scope of work (streetlighting);
- Inclement weather patterns.
The report stated that unplanned power outages due to lack of preventive maintenance will affect people who use electricity and battery dependent assistive technology and medical devices (e.g., portable respirators for people who suffer emphysema and nebulizers for people who suffer from asthma).
Long unplanned power outages affect traffic lights and signals which at times lead to collisions taking place between motor vehicles and pedestrians in intersections. The unit warned that extreme temperatures, whether hot or cold, can take a toll on anyone.
The outages impede the use of air conditioners and heaters, affect street lighting, and place the safety of members of the public (especially women and children) at risk.
The report stated that unplanned power outages due to lack of preventive maintenance pose greater risk on municipal’s water and wastewater treatment processing.
These outages affect physical and chemical processes involved in the removal of contaminants from untreated water (ground and surface water) to produce drinking water.
Long unplanned power outages also affect communication and security services, life support devices and medical technologies in hospitals and clinics, medical storage and food storage, sewage disposal and clean water, street lighting and transport.
The report stated that sewage ends up in the sea when water pump stations are without a power supply.
The electricity unit warned that without the service of appointed contractors, eThekwini Electricity will fail to commit in providing basic service (electricity) to customers; internal staff will not cope to attend to both reactive and preventive maintenance, with the preventive maintenance backlog already high due to ageing infrastructure, vandalism, copper theft and customers’ zero tolerance.
Power outages (breakdowns) constitute major challenges in the education, security of life and property, economic growth, residents’ health within the municipality as well as loss of revenue.
Speaking at the council meeting, ActionSA member Saneli Zuma said the request for funds is a necessary step to help improve service delivery.
“This staggering figure represents undelivered services to residents who are desperately needing them. Our communities face frequent power outages and service delivery backlogs,” Zuma said.