Africa-Press – South-Africa. The eThekwini Metro has denied claims that City employees deliberately blew up electricity transformers in Nsizwakazi, near Klaarwater on Tuesday evening.
The IFP accused municipal employees of blowing up the transformers.
But municipal spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said the damage to the substation was an “unfortunate accident” and added that the City was investigating it to establish the cause of the explosion.
“This substation, like many, was not spared by the floods. When stations of high and medium voltage switchgears are flooded, there is always a very high risk of explosions and fires. Electricity personnel have been visiting these substations over the past week 24/7 to carry out repair work because of heavy rainfall. It then boggles the mind…how would the same employees carry out acts of sabotage driving vehicles that are discernibly from the City?” Mayisela asked.
eThekwini municipal workers accused of blowing up electricity transformers
In a statement on Wednesday, the IFP said it received information that four municipal employees had allegedly blown up the transformers.
IFP national executive committee member and MP Joshua Mazibuko said an eyewitness informed him that four municipality vehicles had arrived in the area at dusk and drove to the transformers at the corner of Intake and Demat roads. Shortly after they arrived, the transformers “went up in flames”.
He added that, according to the information he received, the municipal workers were driving three Toyota Hilux bakkies and a Toyota Hino truck.
A Nsizwakazi resident told News24 on Wednesday evening that he had no electricity issues until the workers “fiddled” with the transformers.
Mayisela appealed to the IFP “to guard against driving a wedge between the City and affected residents” during rebuilding efforts.
He added that teams would start work to get the substation back in operation.
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