RUSTENBURG HERALD - RUSTENBURG - "The situation regarding the safety of electricity substations of the Rustenburg Municipality has now become critical with the Waterfall Substation in Cuckoo Avenue apparently the latest substation to be targeted by criminals".
This according to the DA's Cllr Tanya Rothman of Ward 17. Residents in Ward 17 have had a tiresome if not disastrous few days behind them after the first of two lengthy power outages at the Waterfall substation kicked in at approximately 15:00 on Sunday afternoon.
At this stage the reason for this outage is still unknown. A large area with several prominent businesses such as the Waterfall Mall area, Builders Warehouse, Econo Foods as well as residential areas Waterfall Village and Rockcliff Estates were without electricity from 15:00 until roughly 23:20 on Sunday night. But the worst was yet to come. Barely was the electricity restored and could residents enjoy a peaceful (but short) sleep on Sunday evening, or they awoke with the news that another lengthy interruption could be looming when the substation was vandalised at around 05:00 on Monday morning. This time the same areas in Ward 17 were affected and the interruption continued well into Monday night with electricity restored to the last areas very close to 23:30 on Monday night. Residents in Ward 17 have experienced a nightmarish fourth quarter of last year when the by now infamous Adelaide substation in Waterfall East was repeatedly vandalised - at times as often as twice per day - with electricity interruptions continuing for anything between three to 13 hours. The re-occurring vandalism at Adelaide substation left electrical engineers severely frustrated and only reached an end when one of the gang of criminals targeting Adelaide substation was electrocuted and succumbed to his injuries. During interviews with Rustenburg Herald during the continuing spree of incidents the Rustenburg Municipality said that it has devised a plan to curb the vandalism at substations but apparently, to no avail.
