A series of power interruptions has affected residential and industrial areas across Msunduzi, South Africa, due to ageing electricity infrastructure and damage caused by earthworks contractors. The municipality's technical teams worked around the clock to restore electricity after faults affected the Willowton Industrial Area and Mkondeni, among other areas. The municipality attributed the power cuts to ageing cables and damage from contractors.
In Willowton, two faults on an ageing 11kV cable between Riverside Primary and the substation opposite 249 Ortmann Road affected the DH Brothers and 249 Ortmann Road substations. Repairs were completed at 11:50 pm on Thursday after teams located several damaged points, excavated the affected sections, tested and repaired the cables before safely energising and phasing the network. Some areas were restored through ring feeds, while others remained without power due to embedded supplies in the damaged cables.
The affected cables in Willowton were nearing the end of their designed lifespan and had undergone several repairs over the years, increasing the risk of further failures, particularly when the network was under full load. The municipality has invested more than R80 million in electricity infrastructure in the area and established the Eastwood Primary Substation to reduce the load on Riverside Primary. Additional cables and distribution substations have also been installed.
The municipality is taking steps to replace ageing infrastructure, including installing further circuits and ring circuits. However, Mkondeni has been hit by a separate series of faults after contractors carrying out earthworks damaged several 11kV cables at different points. The resulting fault current severely damaged the 11kV switchboard at the Mkondeni Primary Substation. Municipal teams isolated the damaged section of the switchboard, allowing some electricity supplies to be restored by 7:30 pm on Thursday.
Further damaged equipment and cables were discovered downstream after the supply was restored in Mkondeni. The municipality is now isolating faulty components and using ring feeds to supply unaffected areas where possible. Some areas have remained without electricity since the initial fault, while others have been placed under load rotation due to restrictions on some ring feeds.
The municipality is sourcing replacement equipment and working on temporary repairs while permanent repairs are being planned in Mkondeni. Residents will be notified of a planned outage when the Mkondeni substation needs to be switched off to carry out the work. Low-voltage faults are also being addressed in Copesville and the 1 Knoll area, where service-cable tampering has been identified during repairs.
The municipality acknowledged the impact of repeated electricity interruptions on residents and businesses, particularly in Willowton, citing ageing infrastructure and funding constraints as challenges. Teams are continuing with repairs, and further updates will be issued as technical work progresses. The power cuts have raised concerns from businesses in Willowton about the impact of unreliable electricity supplies on production and jobs.
Key points
- Ageing electricity infrastructure and damage from earthworks contractors have caused power cuts in Msunduzi.
- The municipality has invested over R80 million in electricity infrastructure in the area.
- Further repairs and upgrades are planned to replace ageing infrastructure and prevent future power cuts.
