Investigation sought by DA into Tshwane's alarming substation fires

The DA in Tshwane wants the municipality to institute an independent forensic and technical investigation into a spate of substation fires, citing concerns over potential negligence and procurement irregularities. 

The DA said its proposed probe aims to pinpoint the causes of recent substation fires, including the one at Koedoespoort, and hold those responsible accountable, after leaving residents and businesses without power.

This follows a December 26 fire at Koedoespoort substation that left East Lynne residents without power for two weeks.

DA mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink said he has written to energy regulator NERSA, alleging that the City of Tshwane may be breaching its licence conditions due to inadequate response to power outages. 

He cited concerns over reliability, response times, and communication with customers, saying the city's handling of the crisis is unacceptable.

He said the party “will call for an independent forensic and technical investigation into repeated substation fires, including the Koedoespoort incident, to determine root causes, accountability failures, and whether negligence or procurement lapses played a role”.

The DA will also launch a public petition to demand the reinstatement of water and electricity maintenance budgets in Tshwane's February 2026 adjustment budget.

Brink blamed Mayor Nasiphi Moya and her Utility Services MMC Frans Boshielo for the worsening electricity crisis, citing a “complete absence of leadership”.

“The management of Tshwane’s electricity department has been slow and indecisive, especially regarding the replacement of a faulty cable supplying electricity to East Lynne from the Koedoespoort substation. Had this decision been made earlier, electricity supply could have been restored within days of the substation fire. Instead, prolonged indecision has resulted in significant work backlogs across the central and eastern parts of Pretoria, compounding outages across multiple regions,” he said.

Moya apologised to Tshwane residents for prolonged power outages, acknowledging the frustration and hardship caused. 

She assured residents that the city has been working with urgency to address the situation and restore stability to the electricity network.

She said the city’s Energy and Electricity Business Unit (EEBU) will this week present a comprehensive plan to the mayoral committee to stabilise vulnerable substations and priority parts of the network. 

“This plan will include measures to strengthen security at critical sites, address repeat faults, and reduce the risk of prolonged outages going forward. It will also address asset protection, recognising the impact of theft and vandalism on network stability and service delivery,” she said.

Moya further pledged to strengthen communication with residents, ensuring updates on power outages are clear and timely.

“Residents will continue to receive updates through official city channels,” she said, emphasising efforts to restore electricity, stabilise the grid, and protect infrastructure. 

She mentioned that last Friday, the city held a community meeting in East Lynne, a hotspot for outages, where Boshielo met with residents.

“Their frustration and concerns were clearly articulated, and this feedback is actively informing how we prioritise interventions and improve communication,” she said.

Boshielo reiterated on Tuesday evening that the power cuts in East Lynne and nearby areas are due to the December 26 Koedoespoort substation fire. 

“Following the fire, the substation itself was repaired and returned to operation. However, the incident and subsequent restoration placed significant strain on an ageing distribution cable that carries electricity from the substation to multiple mini-substations in the area.” 

He said the 15km distribution cable, which serves a large area, has weakened sections due to age and condition, adding that when it trips, EEBU teams have to locate the fault before fixing it, causing delays.

“Once one fault is repaired and electricity is restored, another weakened section can fail when the system is placed back under load. This is why residents may experience power returning briefly before another outage occurs,” Boshielo said. 

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za