Several areas in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, have been affected by electricity faults following trips on two 11kV lines on Wednesday evening. The Msunduzi Municipality reported that repair teams are working to restore the electricity supply. The faults have caused widespread disruptions, with multiple areas across the city impacted. The municipality has assured residents that teams are working to restore the supply as soon as possible.
The first fault occurred on the Pietermaritz West to Prince Alfred Primary line, affecting parts of the CBD, Chapel, Russell, Berg, Boom Street, Commercial Road, Greyling Street, and surrounding areas. According to the Msunduzi Municipality, an 11kV cable fault was identified between Pine and Mayor’s Walk and Chapel/Russell High. A repair team has been allocated to the fault and has completed the process of pinpointing the cable fault.
A second 11kV trip occurred at about 8 pm on Wednesday on the Sutherland Edendale to Herschensohn Road line. The fault affected four substations and areas including Herschensohn Road, Dammollurie, Phoenix Plastics, Plessislaer, and Sutherland’s Tannery. The municipality said switching operations were underway to identify the faulted section before it could be isolated for testing and repairs.
The Msunduzi Municipality has apologized for the inconvenience caused by the unplanned interruption to the electricity supply. The municipality has assured residents that teams are working to restore the supply as soon as possible. In addition to the two 11kV faults, several low-voltage faults were also reported, including a suspected T-joint fault on the low-voltage cable at 311 Pietermaritz Street.
Repair teams have been allocated to the various faults, and repairs are in progress. At 30 Chapman Street, 2 Rosevere Road, and part of Pepworth, repairs had been completed to the UGM portion of the circuit, but the cable faulted again after being energised. A testing team and repair team have been allocated to attend to the fault.
The municipality has urged residents to report any individual complaints through its call centre. A team has also been allocated to attend to a fault at 130 Church Street. The municipality has assured residents that they will attend to all complaints once they have been formally logged.
The electricity faults have caused significant disruptions to residents and businesses in Pietermaritzburg. The Msunduzi Municipality has assured residents that they are working to restore the electricity supply as soon as possible. The municipality has not provided a timeline for when the repairs are expected to be completed.
Key points
- Multiple areas in Pietermaritzburg are without electricity due to faults on two 11kV lines.
- The Msunduzi Municipality has apologized for the inconvenience caused by the unplanned interruption to the electricity supply.
- Repair teams are working to restore the electricity supply as soon as possible.
