Communities in crisis: Blinkpan, Kornfontein without power for 4 days

A faulty transformer operated by Eskom at the Komati Power Station has left Blinkpan and Kornfontein without electricity since Sunday 3 November, leaving communities on the brink of chaos.

Eskom released a statement saying they are aware of the power outage and installation of a new mobile substation will begin today.

“While we do not currently have an estimated time for restoration, Eskom will make every effort to speed things up. We understand the inconvenience this is causing our customers and offer our sincere apologies. We appreciate their patience as we work to restore supplies,” Eskom said.

Sources said it would likely take seven days after installation to restore power to Blinkpan, Kornfontein and surrounding farms, which have to run on generators.

The new mobile substation was due to be transported from eMalahleni to the Komati power station today, but this morning the Middelburg Observer was on site and spoke to Stefan Grobler, a member of the Community Policing Forum (CPF), and DA advisor Stefan. Smith.

No Eskom representatives were present and nothing was done at the scene to allow the new mobile substation to replace the old substation.

• Grobler sent an update to the Middelburg Observer and said that Eskom representatives arrived at the site at 11am but said there was no sign of the new substation.

The old substation was originally implemented as a temporary solution in February 2021, after residents suffered a 16-day power outage due to infrastructure decay.

This temporary solution then turned into a permanent problem, with Smith telling the Middelburg Observer that “it was a regular occurrence that the power in Blinkpan and Kornfontein would go out on Friday and only be restored on Monday.”

Prevention of anarchy

Grobler told the Middelburg Observer: “We are in a crisis. The CPF has eight vehicles actively patrolling the streets at night because people are afraid.”

During the first two days without power, the Blinkpan police station was completely offline, leaving residents unable to contact local authorities in an emergency.

Grobler, Smith and the CPF played an important role in providing assistance and protection during the outage, with patrols continuing throughout the evening, usually from 19:00 to 06:00.

“The problem in Blinkpan and Kornfontein is that all the power lines run overhead, making them easy targets for criminals. If these cables are stolen or damaged, it will not matter that Eskom fixes the problem at the substation, these areas will still be without power,” Grobler said. “It’s so dark in these areas at night that if I turned off my headlights, I wouldn’t be able to see my hood.”

A generator was deployed at the Blinkpan station on Monday afternoon (November 5), allowing phone lines to be restored.

Grobler expressed sympathy for the impact of the power outage on residents, especially those who need life-saving medications such as insulin in the refrigerator.

“I know one couple who up and left when it started, simply because they had had enough. Fortunately, we got many people from Komati to help with the refrigeration of medicine and food. »

If Eskom completes the installation of the new substation by Friday, power is expected to be restored by the following Friday. Leaving the affected areas without electricity for 14 days, which will further terrorize the community.

At a community meeting last night, members of the public discussed the possibility of a strike, which Grobler and Smith advised against.

“We are in an emergency situation. It is best for everyone to remain calm and united. But every day people are becoming more restless, the real probability of riots is increasing.” Grobler said.

• Eskom did not respond to questions from the Middelburg Observer prior to publication.

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