Latest news with #Mashigo
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Cable theft in the east costs metro over R4m
Cable theft in the east costs metro over R4m Cable theft and electricity losses are spiralling out of control in the suburbs east of Pretoria, costing the metro millions. The city spent nearly R4.9-million on repairs and maintenance in the past financial year due to cable and electricity theft, a heavy financial toll to its already strained budget. These incidents have led to frequent power outages, disrupting daily life and business operations. Residents also voiced concerns over the city's response, adding, 'We are paying rates and taxes, yet it feels like no one is protecting the infrastructure. We need stronger action and quicker response times.' According to city spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, the direct repair costs amounted to R4 889 985,70, not including additional losses due to service disruptions and secondary infrastructure damage. 'These ongoing incidents not only cost the city millions, but also jeopardise essential services and public safety,' said Mashigo. 'The damage goes beyond the cables themselves – entire communities are affected when the power goes out.' Mashigo said cable theft and vandalism in the east were the worst in Erasmuskloof, Armscor, Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Rietvlei Water Works, Woodlands Mall, Woodlands Lifestyle Estate, Faerie Glen (Koedoeberg), Mooikloof, Moreleta Park and surrounding suburbs. He said the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) and private security companies were surveilling the hotspots, conducting regular patrols in identified high-risk zones. Mashigo confirmed that supply chain management is still processing the tender for enhanced infrastructure security. 'In the interim, the TMPD is working closely with SAPS and private security partners to secure vulnerable infrastructure.' He said cable theft and electricity infrastructure vandalism reduce the reliability and longevity of the electricity infrastructure. MMC for Finance Eugene Modise said the metro has allocated more than R565-million to the installation of CCTV cameras, the recruitment of 200 more metro police officers from January, and the deployment of security personnel to protect its assets, including electricity infrastructure. 'Tshwane is woefully under-protected and we are pursuing a consolidated asset protection strategy that includes both physical security and advanced technological solutions,' said Modise. He added that the metro plans to incorporate modern technology, such as motion detectors and smart surveillance tools, to support and strengthen the efforts of ground security teams. ALSO READ: Noweto stations indicate an increase in contact crimes 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
5 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Centurion power supply fully restored after gruelling repairs, says metro
Power supply has been restored to all parts of Centurion previously affected by the explosion at the Zwartkop Substation on May 20, according to Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo. The incident involved the explosion of Transformer 1A at the substation, which resulted in widespread outages across multiple areas, with some residents enduring more than a week without electricity. Mashigo said the restoration comes after a gruelling eight-day repair process. Zwartkop Substation fully operational. — City of Tshwane (@CityTshwane) May 28, 2025 'The city's energy and electricity technicians worked around the clock through a strenuous cable installation and connection process,' he said. He stated that once that process was complete, the team had to undertake the complex task of modifying the Cable End Box, which serves as the connection point between the cables and the main transformer. 'This task was complicated by the fact that the end box's original components were manufactured in 1972. 'Some of the parts had to be imported from other countries to complete the modification,' said Mashigo. He encouraged any residents who may still be without power to report the issue through the city's normal complaint logging channels. Mashigo expressed appreciation for the patience, co-operation and understanding shown by affected residents during the extended outage and apologised for the inconvenience caused. Before the full restoration, the metro had already managed to restore electricity to some areas. On May 21, MMC for Utility Services Frans Boshielo explained that the explosion had also tripped the Lyttelton Line 1 at Njala, affecting electricity supply to parts of the network served by the Wingate, Aries, and De Hoewes substations. At the time, he stated that technicians were able to stabilise those lines and successfully restore supply to the affected zones. However, other areas, including Zwartkop, Valhalla, Clubview, parts of Claudius, the military base in Thaba Tshwane, and the Zwartkop Airbase, remained without electricity. 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
7 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Tshwane plan to relocate east informal settlement dwellers unfolds
The Tshwane metro confirmed that the construction drawings for the establishment of the Pretorius Park Ext 40 Township are now being finalised and will soon be submitted to the relevant authorities to pave the way for development shortly. This move marks a step towards the long-anticipated relocation of residents from Cemetery View and Plastic View informal settlements in the east of Pretoria. The city also revealed that the Surveyor General Diagrams for the long-awaited township development have been approved. Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said a multidisciplinary team was officially appointed on June 12, 2024, to drive the project. 'The team of engineers and specialists are currently busy with the planning phase, working on designs to prepare the land that will ultimately accommodate hundreds of families living in the fire-prone settlements.' The long-anticipated relocation of residents from Cemetery View and Plastic View informal settlements is a dawn that thousands of east ratepayers eagerly await. Once complete, Pretorius Park Ext 40 is expected to form part of the city's broader spatial integration plan, offering both government-subsidised housing and social rental units to residents currently living in unsafe and overcrowded conditions. Pretorius Park Ext 40 will integrate the poor into the affluent Garsfontein area, in pursuit of spatial transformation and integration principles espoused in the Spatial Planning and Land Use Management Act (Act No. 16 of 2013). East of Pretoria ratepayers have been calling on the municipality to relocate residents from informal settlements through legal efforts to evict them, having been in the courts for years with multiple failed eviction processes thwarted by Human Rights organisations. Pretorius Park will ultimately offer 863 housing units, 300 of which will be fully subsidised by the government. The remaining units will be allocated for social housing rental stock. The qualifying beneficiaries from Cemetery View (currently home to 866 households) and Plastic View (with over 900 households) will be relocated to the new development. Mashigo said a contractor will be appointed during the 2025/26 financial year. 'The project is still in the planning phase; the contractor will be appointed in the next financial year. The designs and construction drawings are underway currently,' said Mashigo. Previously, the municipality said a submission was made to the Gauteng Department of Human Settlements to fund the top structure construction under the current Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF). This will follow the installation of bulk infrastructure, including water, sewer, roads, and stormwater systems. The relocation of Cemetery View residents has been discussed for over a decade. In 2010, the city attempted to prevent land invasions by demolishing structures and evicting illegal occupiers at the Cemetery View informal settlement. However, after a court case brought to the North Gauteng High Court, the city was ordered to provide emergency relief in the form of temporary shelters. This led to a court settlement on August 18, 2010, requiring the city to eventually provide permanent alternative accommodation. The process has since faced multiple objections from neighbouring property owners, homeowner associations, and civil society organisations. The city had to revise and resubmit its township planning application in March 2020, which was only approved by the Municipal Planning Tribunal in August 2022. The final approval for the Conditions of Establishment and Layout Plan for Pretorius Park Ext 40 was granted on January 3 2023, clearing a major hurdle in the city's goal of building a formal, integrated community in the Garsfontein area. Mashigo said the city will expedite the implementation of Pretorious Park Ext 40 and ensure that the urban management activities are implemented on both informal settlements to prevent any further pollution and invasion. 'In the interim, Tshwane Metro Police Department is deployed on site to attend to any transgressions of law.' The city previously said it is pushing for the relocation move to be at least by 2029. Mashigo mentioned previously that the city has limited powers over evictions due to the existing court order, which makes it difficult for the city to implement certain measures. 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
7 days ago
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Major road resurfacing to be completed next month
The Tshwane metro has launched a multi-million rand road resurfacing project across Hammanskraal, Soshanguve, Mabopane, and Ga-Rankuwa to improve driving safety in the northern regions. The project, which began on May 12, is expected to be completed by June 25. Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said over R73-million, excluding VAT, has been allocated to the project, with the most investment in Soshanguve. Funding has been allocated as follows: -Soshanguve at R29.7-million, -Hammanskraal at R26.9-million, -Mabopane at R13.4-million and -Ga-Rankuwa receiving R3.6-million. Skontiri 🛣️ — Tlangi Mogale: CoT MMC for Roads&Transport 🇿🇦 (@tlangimich) May 21, 2025 The distance to be resurfaced covers approximately 34.5km: -Soshanguve: 15.4 km -Hammanskraal: 10 km -Mabopane: 7 km -Ga-Rankuwa: 2.1 km. According to Mashigo, contractors were appointed by standard public tender governed by the municipality's supply chain management policies. The appointed contractors are: -Hammanskraal: Shonisani Rambau Construction (Pty) Ltd -Soshanguve: Asphaltic (Pty) Ltd and TCT Civil and Construction CC -Mabopane: Actophambili Roads (Pty) Ltd -Ga-Rankuwa: Asphaltic (Pty) Ltd. 'Each project site is overseen by a city-appointed project manager and engineering consultants to ensure strict quality control and accountability. 'Community liaison officers have been appointed in collaboration with local ward councillors to maintain clear communication between residents and contractors, and minimise disruption to schools, businesses, and public transport services,' said Mashigo. He confirmed that the resurfacing initiatives are part of the metro's broader long-term maintenance strategy, which aims to extend the lifespan of its road infrastructure. While the current scope is limited to resurfacing, with no upgrade to drainage, signage, or street lighting, the metro has emphasised its commitment to ongoing infrastructure development. Soshanguve North getting its roads make over🇿🇦❤️ Bastrata ANCingovt🖤💚💛 — Tlangi Mogale: CoT MMC for Roads&Transport 🇿🇦 (@tlangimich) May 21, 2025 In a move welcomed by residents, the project also includes the employment of local labourers and subcontractors, contributing to economic stimulation in the targeted communities. The metro encouraged all residents to stay informed through their local ward offices and to cooperate with construction teams to ensure the project's smooth completion. Kaizer Mahlobo of Soshanguve Block X said the metro must extend the project to all areas of Soshanguve, not limited areas. 'We're ducking potholes each day, and we hope that the project will benefit all residents of Soshanguve, not just certain places. 'It's a good thing because it's been long-awaited. We have suffered for so long to have proper roads,' said Mahlobo. LISTEN: MMC for Roads and Transport Tlangi Mogale said the metro's effort to address the growing number of potholes has intensified through the repairs schedule across all seven regions. Mogale said inclement weather conditions have also played a huge role in slowing down the progress that had been made, particularly in the previous months. 'We are comforted by the fact that we use the city's asphalt plant, and this has assisted in our war against potholes. 'The plant can produce close to 70 tons of asphalt daily for purposes of eradicating these backlogs,' said Mogale. She said through the planned schedules in various regions, the metro has managed to identify areas that require improvement and has now included a monitoring team to conduct quality assurance and assess the quality of work that gets done by the teams. Ba Street committee🇿🇦❤️. Baagi ba Soshanguve, we have kept our promise please protect your infrastructure and let's work together to do more🙏🏾 — Tlangi Mogale: CoT MMC for Roads&Transport 🇿🇦 (@tlangimich) May 21, 2025 'The city has also taken note of the increasing call to prioritise areas like Van Der Hoff, Nana Sita Street, the Daspoort tunnel, Norman street in Montana, Lebanon intersections in region 1 and all other areas that require urgent attention through this accelerated repair programme. 'The city, though it's service delivery war room resolutions, will also be looking into increasing the amount of asphalt produced per day and equipping the plant with the necessary capacity and support it requires to produce more hot asphalt.' Mogale said the quarry runs on a three-hour shift and only produces 70 tons of asphalt per day, which has proven to be inadequate to cater for all pothole repair needs. 'We understand the ongoing frustrations that residents and motorists have to contend with on a daily basis because of potholes and the inconvenience they bring. 'We aim to resolve the pothole repair backlog and ensure timely and effective means of responding to our road infrastructure decay. The war on potholes due to years of neglect is one that the multiparty coalition is embarking on through a coordinated effort by the roads and transport and regional operations coordination.' Mogale urged residents to report potholes across the city by emailing pothole@ 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
23-05-2025
- The Citizen
Tshwane addresses wet electricity cables crisis in Doornpoort, Montana
The Tshwane metro has confirmed that persistent power outages in the Doornpoort and Montana are due to critical infrastructure challenges, specifically electricity cables submerged in waterlogged terrain. Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo stated that the problem stems from repeated vandalism and theft on private land (Farm Doornpoort 320 JR, Portion 280), which has severely damaged the cables and made routine maintenance nearly impossible. Residents have endured daily power outages for months, with some areas recently experiencing more than 24 hours without electricity. Frustrated community members have accused the municipality of failing to act decisively, citing delays and the misallocation of funds initially earmarked for rerouting the affected power lines. According to Mashigo, funds have not yet been allocated for the rerouting or upgrading of the infrastructure. He said the metro has, however, submitted a request for capital funding to re-engineer the electrical network. 'Should the request be approved, the metro would either replace the damaged cables along the registered servitude or reroute them via the R101. Mashigo said the cables were originally installed according to regulations and do not, under current conditions, constitute a public safety hazard. However, he admitted that recurring cable joints, introduced due to theft and vandalism, are now highly vulnerable to water exposure during heavy rains, which has led to frequent blackouts. While residents such as Deon Venter allege that funds were previously allocated to solve the issue, Mashigo firmly denied this. Venter questioned why previously promised funds had gone missing and accused the metro of diverting service delivery budgets to security and water tanker services. 'If the money was made available as per the budget speech last year, this issue would have been resolved,' said Venter. The metro has yet to offer a clear timeline for when the repairs or rerouting will begin. For now, the only assurance residents have is that repair teams will respond to outages as they occur, with more permanent solutions contingent on future funding approvals. Venter demanded more than just patchwork fixes. He wants transparency, accountability, and urgent investment in infrastructure to end the cycle of darkness and disruption in his community. WATCH: Freedom Front Plus councillor Mark Surgeon said three underground cables run through the open field north of Doornpoort and under the highway, and two of those cables have been damaged over time due to excessive cable theft. 'Where the cable is repaired, it creates a weak point, so typically when we have a lot of load-shedding back in the day, whenever the cable is re-energised after load-shedding, it causes a jolt, and it sometimes causes that cable to open up in a bit of water. 'During the previous administration I think it was around initially R80-million that was budgeted to replace these cables and reroute them. Then that number was brought down to around 55 due to some good cost-cutting measures of meeting the work would still be done just at a cheaper cost and then that work never materialised with the change of administration,' said Surgeon. He said that with the new budget coming through council, they have not seen any evidence of this project being budgeted. 'Unfortunately, at this stage, it looks like the cables will not be fixed for the foreseeable future unless there is some budget for it in the new budget.' ALSO READ: Progress made in metro's efforts to clean house 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!
