The Western Cape Disaster Management Centre has been activated to coordinate support needed after widespread electricity outages in the Central Karoo, Garden Route, and Overberg.

Eskom confirmed that 7 powerline towers collapsed over the weekend, following heavy thunderstorms.

A number of towns have been affected, and planning is now taking place to support and proptect critical functions such as water, sewage, hospitals, and schools in the affected areas for the next few days.

MEC of Local Government Anton Bredell says there is no indication at this stage how long it will take Eskom to restore the power lines.

“We must plan for support to critical functions such as water, sewage, hospitals, and schools in the affected areas for the next few days. Also, the weather predictions for this week shows heatwave conditions for the Central and Klein Karoo as well as the possibility of further isolated thunderstorms. This adds complexity to the electricity outage as cold
chains and water supply is even more critical during these conditions.”

In the Central Karoo, Leeugamka, Merweville, Laingsburg, Sutherland and Prince Albert
have been affected.

In the Garden Route District, the town of Ladysmith is affected, and in the Overberg District, Napier, and a substantial portion of the surrounding rural farming community, including the area between Wolwengat up to Pearly Beach, are also without power.

Bredell said that an assessment is currently being done through the various districts, which will inform the support provided to those communities.

“Support can be in the form of trucked in water, bottled water, generators for boreholes that provide drinking water, or generators for wastewater systems. We will be communicating directly with affected communities as information becomes available.”

Premier Alan Winde says Eskom has informed him that it will take several days before power can be restored.

Meanwhile, Gift of the Givers trucks departed for urgent assistance to various clinics and hospitals in the Klein Karoo late last night.

Gift of the Givers teams will be distributing 5 litre bottled water to all the major hospitals,clinics,old age homes and schools in the affected areas.