By Poelo Matlala
Thabazimbi Local Municipality Mayor, Cllr JM Fischer accompanied by stakeholders opened a refurbished Thaba Village 11kv substation at Thabazimbi on 24 May 2019.
Thabazimbi Local Municipality is one of the municipalities in Limpopo province. Electricity is one of the basic services that the municipality offers to the community. Thabazimbi Local Municipality has two substations namely; Thaba Village and Sentraal substation. Thaba Village is located next to the railway line, and Sentraal substation is located in the center of Thabazimbi town. These two substations combined provide eighty (80) percent of Thabazimbi households with electricity.
The refurbishment of the power station was undertaken in line with pillar 2 of the back to basics strategy, which in part seeks to “create conditions for decent living by consistently delivering municipal services in the right quality and standards”. To ensure the successful execution of this project, MISA deployed an electrical engineer to provide technical support, which included drafting a business plan and securing funding from the INEP Infrastructure Bulk Funding from the Department of Energy.
“It was easy to work with Thabazimbi Local Municipality officials. I would like to thank the Mayor, Municipal Manager, Technical Director and the rest of Thabazimbi Local Municipality for the unconditional support during the refurbishment process.” Said Sabela who is the Electrical Engineer from Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA). He added that the combined efforts and dedication from all stakeholders involved ensured that the project was completed on time and within budget. “This project has unlocked the electrification projects which will be implemented in the next financial year”added Sabela.
“Today we are gathered to officially open a project that will literally bring light to our people. We are aware that some parts of our Municipality still struggle with power cuts whenever electricity demand exceeds supply. It is for this reason that we reiterate Eskom’s message that encourages residents to save electricity by switching off unused power-consuming appliances in the evenings during which time the demand for power normally peaks. I wish to conclude by calling upon the community to look after the substation and other Municipal projects. It is their responsibility to report those who steal the wires or connect to the grid illegally.” said Mayor Fischer in his address.
He further appealed to all community leaders and councilors to encourage residents and business owners to pay the electricity services to ensure that the municipalities and Eskom improve the electricity infrastructure and capacity to avoid disruptions and to connect those who are still without electricity.
“Lastly I want to thank the Department of Energy for their contribution and support towards the refurbishment of our substation. Not forgetting our mines that are always available to assist us when asked to do so with power related issues. I also want to thank MISA for their continuous technical support.” He concluded.
MISA is delighted and proud to have fulfilled its mandate to ensure that the service delivery challenges are addressed. The refurbished substation will assist in addressing the many unplanned and interruptions that are normally experienced in and around the small mining town.