Electricity crisis halts development

The position that Daybreak Properties found themselves in with the Makhado Municipality has once again put the focus on the town’s electricity situation.

In 2013, the Zoutpansberger reported on the dire state of Louis Trichardt’s electrical network and maintenance backlog, which resulted in a poor development forecast. At that time, the municipality put a moratorium on all new developments for which the electricity demand exceeded 100kVA.

In layman’s terms, 100KVA is enough for a single housing development of about 30 small flats or 20 small housing units, but certainly not enough for the size of the development Daybreak Properties envisages for the Green Belt area. Daybreak Properties, said company director Vino Ramjee, needs approximately 5 000kVA, and 100kVA is not even enough to run the kitchens of a regular-sized restaurant.

Despite this (and this is what upsets Ramjee and his fellow directors), the Masingita Group of companies was recently given the green light for the expansion of the Makhado Crossing mall. “How can they be awarded an electrical connection that easily?” asked Ramjee. Daybreak Properties has been struggling for more than 10 years to get the municipality to supply electricity that will enable it to proceed with its development.

When the newspaper investigated the matter further, it soon became clear that the town’s electrical network is indeed on the verge of total collapse, as was reported in 2013. In the meantime, the municipality announced towards the end of last year that it would not, from that time on, approve any new developments of which the electricity demand exceeded 50kVA.  

The newspaper contacted several local electrical engineers, other developers and electricians. They all painted the same dark picture: Development in Louis Trichardt has come to a grinding halt, due to a shortage of electricity.

Apart from State projects, such as the new office complex of the Department of Home Affairs in Anderson Street, no new projects are approved. One engineering company the newspaper spoke to, on condition that they remain anonymous, confirmed that they have had little to no success in getting new developments approved, as a result of the limit on the electricity supply. “It is only when you can cite ‘special conditions’ that the municipality will consider approving a developer more than the current 50KVA,” the company explained.

Another developer, Mr Rampie Gilfillan of Bridge Motors, said he was waiting for the outcome of his application for additional electricity for his development on the corner of Rissik Street and the N1. His development will consist of two new vehicle dealerships and a well-known family restaurant. He already has an approved 150kVA from the municipality but needs an additional supply of approximately 350kVA.

Taking the above into account, it would seem that neither the Daybreak nor the Masingita development will get off the ground soon. Yet Makhado's municipal manager, Mr Sakkie Mutshinyali, indicated that Masingita would be able to expand the Makhado Crossing mall. He explained that the premises (of the sporting facilities) already have a “certain amount of electricity allocated to them” and that this will enable them to proceed with their development.

Mutshinyali further added that the restriction on development because of the limited electricity supply was just as frustrating to the municipality. He explained that the municipality had “exhausted many avenues in the past to raise the money needed for the upgrade of the substation.”

Mutshinyali mentioned that Council was in the process of applying for a loan, but it could take months, if not years, to secure the funds needed to upgrade the town’s electrical infrastructure. “We simply do not have the money for such a big project,” said Mutshinyali.

The municipality’s current NMD (notified maximum demand, which is the size of the electrical supply granted to the municipality by Eskom), is 44MVA. In 2013, the municipality admitted that the town’s electricity demand already exceeded this supply at times.

Last year, when asked about the upkeep of electricity lines, the municipality acknowledged in an email “that the main Makhado sub-station is fully loaded, currently running at the 45MVA from its NMD of 44.”

News - Date: 30 April 2016

Isabel Venter

Isabel joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in 2009 as a reporter. She holds a BA Degree in Communication Sciences from the University of South Africa. Her beat is mainly crime and court reporting.

Email: [email protected]