King Sabata Dalindyebo municipal bosses have warned that spending millions of rand on replacing damaged electricity infrastructure in Mthatha could result in the local authority’s coffers drying up.
This after three kiosks used to supply power to the Fortgale residential suburb were set on fire by unknown people on Sunday, plunging the area into total darkness.
The total estimated cost of replacing the damaged electricity kiosks is R5m, according to KSD municipal spokesperson Olwethu Mabovula.
This was the second time since 2023 that the municipality reported extensive damage to the town’s electricity infrastructure.
Mayor Nyaniso Nelani said he was appalled and deeply concerned at the resurgence of vandalism to the infrastructure.
“This irresponsible and criminal behaviour does not only pose a threat to public safety, but also disrupts essential services and causes inconvenience to residents,” he said.
He said half of Mthatha Part 1 was without power for most of Sunday afternoon.
“We condemn these acts of vandalism in the strongest possible terms.”
He appealed to residents to respect and protect public property and to report any suspicious activity to the police.
Alternatively, they could also report damage to infrastructure to KSD’s call centre on 047-595-1037 or send a WhatsApp message on 071-401-3876.
In 2023, it was reported that ruthless criminals were targeting electricity infrastructure after a flurry of reports and video footage in which unidentified people were seen burning substations and kiosks in Mthatha.
“These deliberate acts of sabotage do not only undermine the municipality’s efforts to improve the stability of infrastructure, but also harm our customers by depriving them of electricity services,” Nelani said.
It was also reported that cable thieves were stripping and stealing cables and copper from transformers, substations and electricity boxes.
It cost the municipality about R20m every year to repair the damage, he said.
He warned the situation could have serious repercussions for electricity users, as KSD could be forced to hike tariffs to recoup the money spent on repairs.
On Tuesday, Mabovula said the biggest kiosk in Fortgale had cost about R3.5m to replace and the situation could deplete the municipality’s financial resources.
“The money we get from the National Treasury is meant for the maintenance of our existing infrastructure and not necessarily to patch up on deliberate vandalism.
“It affects business and some might close down if the situation persists, meaning people might end up losing jobs.
“We want people to come and invest in our town so it can grow.”
She said they were not sure if the attacks could be attributed to an organised syndicate.
But they were working closely with the police to end the scourge.
During a budget breakfast session with local businesses, KSD’s budget and treasury portfolio head and mayoral committee member Zukisa Gana revealed that the municipality generated about 66% of its own revenue.
He announced that they had decided to charge lower rates to new companies which invested in KSD.
Companies investing R300m and more would get an 80% rebate on their municipal bills for at least two years while those that invest between R200m and R300m would get 70% off their municipal rates bills for two successive years.
This was being done to try to attract new investors to Mthatha.
Mthatha businessman Dr Andile Nontso, the secretary-general of the OR Tambo District Chamber of Business who runs a B&B in Fortgale, confirmed the area had been without power for an extended period.
Nontso has previously warned that investors were leaving the town in droves due to rampant crime, erratic water supply and unstable electricity supply.
“We have not had electricity for days now and this is affecting our business badly as guests often [cancel bookings] and leave for East London.
“This is affecting us economically, maybe the municipality needs to put security on their substations to prevent this thing [burning of infrastructure] from occurring.
“The economy of the town is highly affected by this and fuel is very expensive for those who use generators,” he said.
Both Eastern Cape Chamber of Business president Vuyisile Ntlabati and Mthatha Ratepayers and Residents’ Association spokesperson Madyibi Ngxekana said the onus was on KSD to protect and secure its own assets.
Ntlabati said it was high time the municipality invested heavily in security technology.
“Five-million rand is a lot of money. These are government assets that should be secured at all times.
“Electricity outages cause disruptions not only to the businesses but the entire economy of Mthatha,” he said.
Ngxekana suggested there was a possibility that the burning of infrastructure could be an inside job as only people with knowledge would dare come near substations and other electricity sources.
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