The City of Tshwane provided an update on Friday regarding the fire that ravaged the Olievenhoutbosch Primary Substation on Christmas Eve.
It confirmed that criminal cable theft was responsible for the devastating blaze that left parts of Centurion and Olievenhoutbosch without electricity.
Deputy Executive Mayor Eugene Modise visited the site on Friday to assess the damage firsthand and receive technical briefings from officials from the electricity department.
He said the substation, which houses four transformers, sustained significant damage, with one transformer destroyed beyond repair.
“Transformer A has suffered heavy damage and is irreparable,” Modise confirmed during the visit.
The fire erupted around 2am on 24 December and burned for much of Christmas Day before emergency services contained it.
However, technical teams have made progress in assessing the remaining equipment.
According to Modise, the second transformer has undergone comprehensive testing and been cleared for use.
“Transformer B has passed all tests and together with Transformer R, which is the spare, will be ready for supplying enough electricity to the affected areas,” he stated.
Diagnostics are continuing on the other two transformers to determine the quickest path to full restoration.
Restoration efforts underway despite weather challenges
Specialised cleaning operations have already begun at the damaged substation.
Technical crews conducted dry-ice cleaning on the busbars to safely remove fire residue and contaminants without causing additional damage to sensitive electrical equipment.
Modise said teams were working around the clock to replace other critical components, including cabling, necessary for safe power restoration.
Additionally, the city acknowledged that weather conditions have complicated repair efforts.
Officials explained that restoration work has been hampered by heavy rainfall, which makes it difficult for technical teams to function optimally.
“We would like to apologise to the community members affected by this criminal activity and the inconvenience caused by the fire on our infrastructure,” Modise said.
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City condemns cable theft as economic sabotage
Modise issued a strong condemnation of the criminal activity that precipitated the crisis.
He emphasised that cable theft is far more than a petty crime, characterising it as an attack on essential services and community well-being.
“Cable theft is not a victimless crime. It is an act of economic sabotage that disrupts essential services, endangers lives, damages critical infrastructure, and imposes significant financial burdens on the City and its residents,” the deputy mayor stated.
The impact extends across multiple sectors of society. Modise labelled cable theft as criminal activities that undermine service delivery and delay development projects.
He added that they “negatively affect households, businesses, healthcare facilities, and schools, particularly during a period meant for rest, family, and celebration”.
Law enforcement agencies have launched investigations to identify and prosecute those responsible for the theft and subsequent fire.
The city called on residents to play an active role in protecting public infrastructure.
“We call on communities to stand united against infrastructure vandalism and to report suspicious activities, as protecting public infrastructure is a shared responsibility,” Modise emphasised.
Long-term solutions in development
While addressing the immediate crisis, Tshwane indicated that it is looking beyond short-term repairs.
The city stated it is actively exploring innovative and sustainable solutions to strengthen infrastructure security, improve early-detection systems, and implement preventative measures to ensure that cable theft and related incidents do not become the norm.
The municipality acknowledged the frustration experienced by affected residents and businesses.
“We sincerely apologise to all residents affected by this outage and acknowledge the frustration and inconvenience caused,” Modise said.
He assured the public that restoring power and safeguarding infrastructure remain top priorities for the administration.
The city committed not only to resolving the current situation but also to building a more resilient, secure, and reliable electricity network for the future.
Modise promised to provide further updates as restoration work progresses and urged residents to be patient as technical teams work to safely restore power to all affected areas.
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