City Power hopes to complete repairs to Eldorado Park substation by Wednesday

“Dry ice cleaning was completed late afternoon [Saturday]. Team is now connecting new cables to the transformers at the station after removing all burnt and damaged cables and rubbles last night.

“The work at the station is however delayed by the falling rain,” City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said on Sunday morning.

“Our team will, however, continue working throughout the day and where possible through the rain to ensure that we restore electricity to affected customers as soon as possible.

“We will continue to provide updates on this power interruption on a two-hourly basis and as and when new information becomes available,” he added.

Several areas were plunged into darkness on Friday after a blaze gutted the substation.

The damage at the Eldorado Park substation impacted other substations.

Areas that were affected by the damage include Devland, Olifantsvlei, Kliptown, Klipspruit and Freedom Park, among other areas.

City of Joburg mayor Mpho Phalatse described the fire as a deliberate act of sabotage.

Phalatse visited the substation on Friday where she was briefed by City Power technicians on the extent of the damage caused.

“At approximately, five o’clock this morning, the Eldorado Park Substation sustained fire damage in what we suspect to be a case of sabotage on our economic infrastructure.

“City Power technicians are working around the clock to restore power. I’ve instructed the city’s group forensic and investigation services unit to accelerate the rollout of the strategy to stop these attacks on the city’s economic infrastructure,” the mayor said.

Phalatse also said the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) had been deployed to the area to prevent cable theft.