The Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality, long besieged by rampant cable theft and repeated protests over unreliable electricity, has bought a specialised cable-testing machine in an effort to reduce power outages and improve response times.
The municipality confirmed it recently purchased the thumping machine for R2.9m.
Officials say the equipment will allow technicians to detect underground cable faults more quickly, particularly in Komani, the municipality’s main economic hub, where outages have frequently crippled businesses and residential areas.
Mayor Madoda Papiyana said the municipality had for years relied on external contractors to trace damaged or stolen cables each time an outage was reported.
“The municipality has purchased new cable-testing equipment which has been fitted in a new vehicle and will service the entire municipality,” he said.
“It will help detect normal cable faults and open circuits. The municipality has depended on contractors for testing cables, which made the power restoration process long.”
He said contractors often had to be sourced from far outside the area, which contributed to lengthy delays.
“Sometimes, it took longer for the service provider to arrive, leaving residents and businesses in prolonged hours of darkness,” he said.
Komani has experienced severe electricity disruptions in recent years.
In 2023, frustrated residents shut down the town in protest over persistent outages.
A year later, residents in Top Town, one of Komani’s upmarket suburbs, went 17 days without electricity due to what officials said was ageing infrastructure.
At the time, municipal spokesperson Lonwabo Kowa said: “The main challenge is the old infrastructure, especially underground cables. Most faults occur along underground cables.”
He said the town’s system needed an overhaul, but this was not financially feasible.
Load reduction and the municipality’s growing Eskom debt have also contributed to the instability, prompting repeated shutdown protests from angry residents.
In October 2025, the municipality revealed it was facing unprecedented levels of cable theft, with at least R11m spent replacing stolen copper cables in Komani alone.
Papiyana said the theft was occurring weekly and placing severe strain on the municipal budget.
“Budgets allocated for maintenance and projects are used for repairs,” he said.
Papiyana said the newly-acquired machine would reduce dependence on outside service providers.
“The new testing machine has the ability to test cable damage and scan for open circuits.
“The municipality is currently using a testing machine which has limited capacity and is unable to meet the demand.
“Due to this challenge, the municipality depends on service providers from as far as Gqeberha and Mthatha for testing, and this prolongs turnaround times in resolving power outages.”
He said the municipality viewed the purchase as a critical step towards improving service delivery.
“We said it before, and I reiterate that as this municipality, our primary focus is improving basic service delivery … we aim to provide reliable electricity service to all community members …
“Power outages must be resolved in the quickest possible time,” he said.
“We have competent electricians who will be able to fully utilise this equipment.
“We have a lot of backlog, including faulty alternative feeders which must be tested and repaired.
“This is a huge investment.”
Some Komani residents have welcomed the move.
Phikolomzi “Jomo” Jaxa, who runs a food business in Mlungisi, said frequent outages had forced him to spend about R1,000 a month on gas.
“It is always a big problem especially during winter,” he said.
Businessman Sabelo Jayiya called the acquisition overdue.
“Definitely the turnaround time will now improve if everything is done in-house,” he said.
Daily Dispatch
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