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Cape Town – Eskom had to send a security team with its team to fix a transformer in the heart of the Tshwane civil unrest that had plunged 25 000 customers in darkness on Tuesday.
The transformer at the Mabopane East electricity substation tripped at 17:52 on Tuesday, impacting substations in Vuka, Winterveld, Nonyane and Makgatho, Eskom said, adding that 25 000 customers were affected.
“This is the same substation where our staff members were chased away by the community earlier because of the protest action that happened today (Tuesday) in Tshwane,” Eskom said.
“In the interest of mitigating this challenge, security has since been dispatched to escort our field team to investigate.”
Police officers and lawmen from across Gauteng are bracing for another day of civil unrest in Tshwane on Wednesday after reports of widespread violence overnight.
This follows days of protests in Atteridgeville, Soshanguve, Mamelodi, Hammanskraal and Mabopane after the announcement of Thoko Didiza as the ANC’s mayoral candidate for the sprawling metro.
On Tuesday buses were torched and police were stretched thin to quell mass looting of malls and shops owned by foreign nationals in the townships.
FULL STORY: Cops brace for violence as Tshwane smoulders
The current violence in parts of Tshwane cannot be good for South Africa's image, especially in these crucial six months before the ratings agencies announce their next review of the country, Dr Ernest Messina, CEO of business chamber AHi, told Fin24 on Tuesday.
"The current violence cannot be good for the business community or the general morale of individuals and the community at large," he said.
"What the result of the violence will be, is a million dollar question. We must remember how the outside world will view SA because of the violence."
FULL STORY: Tshwane violence not good for SA ratings - CEO
