Mayor Mako pushes for swift Evaton re-electrification project
The long-awaited re-electrification of Evaton and Small Farms has officially begun, with contractor sites established and construction materials already delivered as work gets under way.
The project follows a series of engagements involving Emfuleni Local Municipality, Eskom, the Office of the Gauteng Premier and residents during the provincial government’s imbizo programme.
Evaton has experienced prolonged electricity supply challenges linked to damaged transformers, cable theft, illegal connections, vandalism and tampering with Eskom infrastructure.
The re-electrification programme is aimed at rehabilitating and strengthening the electricity network rather than relying solely on individual repairs.
One of the key interventions is Eskom’s planned use of aluminium conductors in appropriate sections of the network to replace conventional copper conductors. Aluminium is an effective electrical conductor but has a lower resale value in the illicit scrap-metal market, which is intended to reduce the vulnerability of infrastructure to theft.
Emfuleni executive mayor Hassan Mako visited Evaton on Thursday to engage residents and observe the commencement of construction.
The municipality said the start of the project demonstrates the importance of turning concerns raised during community engagements into concrete infrastructure interventions through cooperation between different spheres of government and state-owned entities.
Mako thanked Eskom and the Office of the Premier for their cooperation and commitment to restoring and strengthening Evaton’s electricity infrastructure.
He also urged residents to protect the infrastructure being installed, warning that vandalism, illegal connections, cable theft and tampering undermine efforts to restore a stable electricity supply.
The municipality said the commencement of construction marks an important step towards addressing Evaton and Small Farms’ longstanding electricity challenges.
It called on residents and government to work together to ensure the infrastructure is protected, maintained and sustained for future generations.
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