A fire at Cloetesville substation and subsequent delayed repairs resulted in Stellenbosch residents being left without electricity for over 26 hours.
This was according to Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson for Stellenbosch Municipality, in email correspondence with SMF News.
A transformer at the substation was blown out, which resulted in a power outage in Cloetesville, Kayamandi and Koelenhof on 22 May, said Grobbelaar.
The reinstatement of electricity was delayed as the damage to the infrastructure was more severe than Stellenbosch Municipality and Eskom originally predicted, according to the Municipality’s Facebook page.
A fire at Cloetesville substation on 22 May caused a 26-hour long power outage in Cloetesville, Kayamandi, and Koelenhof, according to Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson for Stellenbosch Municipality. PHOTO: Hannah Theron
Timeline of the blackout
The power went off at around 17:30 on 22 May, said Grobbelaar. It was restored on 23 May at around 19:00 and “the Municipality then staggered the switching on process to each affected suburb to ensure that there was no overloading and further tripping”, said Grobbelaar.
The delays in reinstatement left residents feeling frustrated, according to Paul Robyn, a Cloetesville resident. “We were given timelines which were not met,” said Robyn.
Once the power was restored, areas affected by the power outage were exempted from loadshedding on 22 May, said Stuart Grobbelaar, spokesperson for Stellenbosch Municipality. PHOTO: Hannah Theron
Effects of the power outage
Residents were unable to cook during the power outage, according to Gerhardus van Rooyen, a Cloetesville resident.
“Not being able to cook food was a big problem, as takeaways and food in general are extremely expensive and having to purchase [takeaways] did not fit my already tight budget,” said Van Rooyen.
The streetlights and traffic lights were off, resulting in traffic jams, making it difficult to drive in the dark, according to Van Rooyen. “Not having well lit roads to drive on made it increasingly difficult to arrive at work on time or return home.”
Cloetesville residents were unable to complete basic household activities due to a power outage on 22 May, said Gerhardus van Rooyen, a Cloetesville resident. PHOTO: Hannah Theron
Water difficulties
Residents of the affected areas also experienced water problems as “if there are prolonged periods of load shedding or power outages, reservoirs do not have sufficient time to refill to acceptable levels”, said Grobbelaar.
“My colleagues and neighbours […] had to make use of other solutions to keep personal hygiene at a high level,” said Van Rooyen.
If water was available, it was not warm as there was no electricity to power the geysers, said Robyn. “There was no warm water to give my baby a bath,” he added.
“Everyone is highly dependent on the use of electricity for everyday activities [and] not having power for more than 26 hours made me feel hopeless,” said Van Rooyen.