Note to Broadcasters: Please find attached soundbites in English by Luan Snyders
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Rustenburg has formally submitted questions to Council in terms of Rule 46(2) regarding the persistent electricity supply failures affecting Waterfall East, areas supplied by the Munic Substation, and communities linked to the Mabe Park Substation (see attached).
The Democratic Alliance is demanding:
- Full disclosure on the operational and financial status of the Motor City Substation;
- Clear answers on insurance claims and the reasons for ongoing repair delays;
- Immediate interim measures to stabilise electricity supply in affected areas;
- A serious feasibility assessment to modernise the Line Road electricity network.
Residents and businesses in these areas continue to endure repeated and prolonged power outages, while the ANC–EFF coalition governing Rustenburg Local Municipality has failed to provide transparency, urgency, or a credible recovery plan.
At the centre of the crisis is the Motor City Substation, a critical component of the Waterfall East ring feed from Waterkloof substation. Despite its importance, residents remain in the dark about its operational status, the cost and scope of repairs, and whether insurance claims linked to vandalism damage have been finalised. The prolonged delays in restoring this substation point to weak contract management, poor planning and an absence of consequence management within the municipality.
Equally concerning is the ongoing instability along Line Road, where aging 11kV overhead lines supplied from the Mabe Park Substation are repeatedly disrupted by wind and overgrown vegetation. These failures are long-standing, yet the coalition has failed to implement sustainable, long-term solutions such as underground cabling, a proven intervention to improve supply reliability and reduce maintenance costs over time.
Instead of proactive leadership, residents are met with silence, recycled fault notices and reactive crisis management. Businesses are losing income, households are left vulnerable, and public confidence in municipal governance continues to decline.
Rustenburg deserves a municipality that plans, maintains and protects critical infrastructure, not one that waits for collapse before responding. The DA will continue to use every oversight mechanism available to hold this failing coalition accountable and to fight for reliable electricity supply for residents and businesses.