Re-electrification work gets under way in Evaton and Small Farms

Long-standing electricity problems in Evaton and Small Farms moved from community meetings to construction sites on Wednesday, September 17, as work began to rehabilitate damaged electricity infrastructure.

The project follows engagements between residents, Emfuleni Local Municipality, Eskom and the Gauteng Office of the Premier during the Imbizo programme.

Contractor sites have been established, materials delivered and physical work has started as part of a broader effort to restore the electricity network.

The area has experienced supply problems linked to damaged transformers, cable theft, illegal connections, vandalism and repeated tampering with Eskom infrastructure.

Instead of relying only on individual repairs, the intervention is aimed at rehabilitating and strengthening sections of the network.

Part of the work includes replacing copper conductors with aluminium in appropriate areas. Aluminium can be used to distribute electricity but has a lower scrap value than copper, a measure intended to reduce the network’s attractiveness to cable thieves.

Emfuleni Local Municipality Executive Mayor Cllr Hassan Mako visited Evaton on Wednesday to inspect the work and engage residents.

“We appreciate the cooperation and commitment of Eskom and the Office of the Premier towards restoring and strengthening electricity infrastructure in Evaton,” Mako said.

He also called on residents to safeguard the new infrastructure.

“The infrastructure currently being installed belongs to the community and is critical to the economic and social functioning of Evaton,” he said.

Mako warned that vandalism, illegal connections, cable theft and tampering could undermine efforts to restore a stable electricity supply.

With contractors now on site, the focus turns to completing the rehabilitation and ensuring the infrastructure is protected from the problems that contributed to the network’s deterioration.