Latest news with #Bokaba
The Citizen
02-06-2025
- Climate
- The Citizen
Water outages continue in Gauteng due to maintenance
Joburg Water also warned residents who receive water from the Deep South system that high demand was constraining the system. It is unclear when water will return to the thousands of households across Gauteng affected by Rand Water's 107-hour planned maintenance. Parts of the City of Tshwane, City of Ekurhuleni, Midvaal Local Municipality, Emfuleni Local Municipality, Govan Mbeki Local Municipality, Victor Khanye Local Municipality, and Thembisile Hani Local Municipality were without water by day two of the four-day planned maintenance yesterday. Rand Water spokesperson Makenosi Maroo said Rand Water reported that progress on the B16 project had been steady throughout the night and remained on track for completion as scheduled. 'Necessary interventions' Joburg Water warned residents that it would put in necessary interventions, including closing outlets. An alternate water supply had been arranged to assist with the recovery and restoration process. 'While many of the reservoirs had fair supply and capacity with poor pressure due to high demand, the Doornkop Reservoir was constrained and the outlet was closed due to poor pressure and no water.' ALSO READ: Tshwane's water warning to residents Joburg Water also warned residents who receive water from the Deep South system that high demand was constraining the system. 'The system improved and supplied throughout the day, but is declining. Joburg Water is putting in the necessary intervention, including closing outlets overnight to build capacity.' Joburg Water also indicated that the Orange Farm Reservoir, Ennerdale Reservoir, Lawley Reservoir, Lenasia Hospital Hill and Lenasia High Level were at fair capacity. WaterCAN's Ferrial Adam said: 'The Alexander reservoir that feeds Kensington and Bruma was not pumping at the right pressure and they had to sort it out, which meant that area didn't have water. 'There were other low reservoirs linked to the Rand Water pipe burst that happened about two to three weeks ago,' Adam said. ALSO READ: 21-day water outage in Joburg set to begin Friday In Tshwane in most areas expected to be affected, taps ran dry with residents taking to social media for updates on where to collect water. Equestria, Faerie Glen, Eastlynn and Waterkloof reported dry taps, while residents in Moreleta had water. Water outage warning City of Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba last week warned residents of Region 6 and some parts of Regions 2 and 3 to urgently reduce water consumption as the levels of the reservoirs supplying these areas were dropping significantly. ALSO READ: Municipal water crisis 'nothing to do with bulk water supply', says minster at LHWP reopening Bokaba said continued high consumption was likely to put consumers at risk of having no water from today until the work was completed. 'The high volume of consumption is also putting the city's distribution network and Rand Water systems under severe pressure,' he said. Bokaba reminded customers that the water utility would also isolate the Klipriviersberg Master Reservoir from the Palmiet system for 10 hours from tomorrow. 'This is to allow the water utility's technicians to clean and conduct an inspection on the reservoir. During this period, pumping will be reduced to 67% at the Palmiet station. 'The City of Tshwane apologises for the inconvenience as a result of the abovementioned maintenance work,' Bokaba added. NOW READ: Gauteng residents warned to brace for major water disruptions this week
The Citizen
21-05-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Power supply restored to parts of Centurion after substation explosion
Power supply restored to parts of Centurion after substation explosion While several areas in Centurion remain in the dark after a substation explosion on May 19, the Tshwane metro has managed to restore supply to some areas. The incident, which occurred around 05:50 on Monday, involved the explosion of Transformer 1A at the Zwartkop Substation, leading to a power outage across multiple areas. MMC for Utility Services Frans Boshielo confirmed that the explosion also caused a trip on the Lyttelton Line 1 at Njala, initially cutting off Wingate, Aries, and De Hoewes substations' supply. Boshielo said that the supply has since been successfully restored to those three areas. However, residents in Zwartkop, Valhalla, parts of Claudius, Clubview, the Military Base in Thaba Tshwane, and the Zwartkop Airbase remain without electricity. He said the metro's Energy and Electricity Department continues with restoration efforts in these areas. 'The teams are working tirelessly to restore supply to all affected consumers as swiftly and safely as possible,' he said. The current work to restore power to the affected areas is extensive. Boshielo said the process involves testing of Transformer 2B, oil sample analysis sent to a laboratory, and the replacement of damaged infrastructure, including 630mm high-tension cables and crucial control cables required for the substation's protection grading. 'Full transformer protection tests are also being carried out to ensure operational safety of the transformer and proper protection grading of the substation.' He noted that repairs on the Lyttelton/Kwagga Overhead Line 1, which was also damaged by fire, are scheduled to begin on May 20. 'I would like to extend our appreciation to all residents and businesses for their patience, co-operation, and understanding during this time,' said Boshielo. He added that the metro team will provide updates every day at 19:00. Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba said that the destruction of the 630mm high-tension cables and essential control cables has significantly complicated the repair efforts. 'These control cables are essential for the protection of the substation,' said Bokaba. He emphasised that the fire damage to the Lyttelton/Kwagga Overhead Line 1 necessitated the disconnection of the line by the sub-transmission team. Bokaba provided a cautiously optimistic outlook, stating that overnight work yielded positive results. 'Transformer 2B test results have tested positive and are ready to be used,' he said. He stated that the next step in the process will involve replacing the stolen single cores and multicores for Transformer 2B. Despite these advances, he stressed that the estimated time for full power restoration will only be communicated once the majority of the repair work is completed. ALSO READ: Fire drill tests hospital's emergency readiness Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Expect delays when applying for driver's licences: SA's only card printer still broken
Expect delays when applying for driver's licences: SA's only card printer still broken Motorists have been warned about delays when applying for new and renewed driver's licences, as the country's only card printer is still broken, Pretoria Rekord reports. According to the National Department of Transport, the machine used to print the cards has been broken since February. Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba said it could take several weeks before the machine is fully operational. 'Ordinarily, a licence card application takes between six to eight weeks to be issued. Drivers are advised to apply for their driving licence renewal before they expire, to enable them to qualify for a three-month grace period,' he said. He said those who have already applied for licence cards can present proof of the renewal application to law enforcement officers if they are pulled over while driving. 'The other option is to apply for a temporary driving licence, which is valid for six months,' Bokaba said. According to The Citizen, the licence card printing machine is 26 years old and has had almost 160 breakdowns, which have become more frequent. Transport Minister Barbara Creecy's spokesperson Collen Msibi told the publication that the department is working on repairing the machine should be running again by mid-May. Outa has recently written to Creecy, requesting urgent feedback on the ongoing breakdown of the licence card printing machine. 'Motorists are once again being subjected to delays and inconvenience due to the ongoing failures of this outdated system. The Department must explain why the machine is not operational, despite previous repairs and maintenance contracts,' Outa's CEO Wayne Duvenage said. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
02-05-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Power restoration anticipated for Sunday in parts of the north
Power restoration anticipated for Sunday in parts of the north Residents who have been without power since Thursday in the north of Pretoria can expect to be reconnected by Sunday evening. This is according to officials of the Tshwane metro, who are in a bid to restore power after a widespread outage caused by vandalism and cable theft at the Theresa Park Secondary Substation. According to Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba, technicians are working around the clock to restore electricity, with most affected areas expected to be reconnected by Sunday evening. The sabotage, which occurred on May 1, caused a fire inside the substation, damaging a 240mm power cable and a T4 switching component. This led to an immediate blackout in the supply zone, impacting both residential and business communities. 'The team's commitment to promptly restore power supply to the affected areas notwithstanding, the extent of the damage and the complexity of the repairs to be effected have resulted in a prolonged power supply interruption. 'This, regrettably, means it will take a few days before full restoration can be achieved,' said Bokaba. Crews are currently replacing burnt infrastructure, re-energising circuits, and conducting safety tests before reconnecting each affected area. The following areas remain without power: – Heatherdale – Clarina – Theresa Park – Nina Park – Eldorette – Pretoria North – Florauna – Dorandia – Tileba The metro has apologised for the extended outage and is urging residents to remain patient while the infrastructure is restored. LISTEN: Community leader Dana Wannenburg previously mentioned that in Clarina, a mini-substation was completely burned out, and it will either need to be repaired or fully replaced. 'Unfortunately, there has been no change in the power outage situation. Many areas, including Montana, Sinoville, Doornpoort, and Annlin, remain without electricity. 'We are still waiting for official feedback from the technical teams and electricity management in Tshwane. There is growing concern that there may be deliberate delays in addressing these widespread outages,' said Wannenburg. He said he waited at the Theresapark Substation, but no technical team had arrived. 'The lack of communication and progress is unacceptable.' The cause of the fire has been linked to cable theft, a persistent issue in the metro. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
25-04-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
City of Tshwane says overtime cap won't stall emergency services
After over 10 days of power outages linked to a substation fire, Tshwane is under pressure to explain its decision to limit service workers' overtime. The City of Tshwane's introduction of financial management measures capping overtime will not stop the municipality from providing services in the event of emergencies, spokesperson Selby Bokaba said yesterday. This follows a fire earlier this month at the Brakfontein substation that affected power in Eldoraigne, Raslouw, Rooihuiskraal North and Wierdapark for over 10 days. Political backlash over budget cuts Opposition leader in the city, the DA's Cilliers Brink, accused the mayor of decreasing the budget for regional service delivery in her adjustment budget last month. This was after the circulation of a letter by the city manager on the capping of overtime in service delivery after hours and over weekends. ALSO READ: City of Tshwane unveils plan to create 150 000 jobs Initially, the city said the report was true and that it was an internal communique. Now, Bokaba has said Tshwane has taken note of misleading messages circulating on social media platforms by some community leaders, purporting that there will be prolonged power supply outages due to the city's overtime curb, which came into effect on 1 April. 'These messages, which are devoid of any truth, further suggest that the city has taken a decision to compromise service delivery through its changes to the management of overtime. Compliance with labour laws 'It should be put on record that the adjustments to overtime hours were based on repeated findings by the auditor-general that the city was regularly paying several employees more than 40 hours of overtime. 'This is a contravention of the Labour Relations Act, which stipulates that overtime should only be limited to 40 hours per month,' he said. ALSO READ: The state of the capital: Three major problems Tshwane promises to fix Bokaba said the city's resources were also strained, which had prompted it to make hard choices concerning overtime, without compromising the delivery of services. 'Through the regional operations and coordination department, the need for changes to the management of overtime was extensively canvassed with the regional directors for electricity. Extra hours allowed for emergencies 'The teams agreed that limiting overtime to 40 hours per month excludes overtime that could not be avoided due to an emergency as defined in Section 3.6.2(ii) of the overtime collective agreement,' he said. Bokaba said while some of the critical functions of the municipality are restricted to 40 hours of overtime, more hours will be granted if it is an emergency involving power outages, water leaks or pipe bursts, sewer leaks, roads, stormwater and community services. NOW READ: Broke City of Tshwane forfeits billions as illegal developers get free ride
