Pretoria Far East 18413/29-1-21 JANUARY 29, 2021 • www.rekordeast.co.za • 012-842-0300 Visit our website for breaking Private schools online Local hospital gets a New research can help local, national and international news. as reopening is delayed 2 new upgraded jacket 3 to eliminate malaria 6 www.rekordeast.co.za R1.2-million ‘Covid- proof’ ambulance came just in time The Tshwane metro this week announced its acquisition of a special infection unit ambulance equipped with technology to safely transport patients with infectious conditions. It has boosted their response to Covid-19. The ambulance included an isolation chamber - the fi rst of its kind in South Africa. The chamber is equipped with a negative pressure fi ltration system that fi ts on the stainless steel monobloc ambulance stretcher, allowing the patient to be scanned in the chamber without exposing the radiology staff to infection such as Covid-19, and without needing to decontaminate the computerised tomography (CT) scanning suite. Photo: Ron Sibiya Development power issues The Tshwane metro insists it has made the proper planning to provide electricity for the 11 000 unit Hazeldean development. Noxolo Sibiya However, local energy expert Chis infrastructure to support themselves.” “It’s going to be bad for the entire Yelland said many municipalities, including Economist Dawie Roodt said electricity country’s economy if Gauteng is aff ected.” The Tshwane metro was adamant that its Tshwane’s, were already struggling to cuts have a negative impact of the economy He said a solution to this problem electricity infrastructure would be strong supply quality electricity to their residents. as they led to revenue loss. aff ecting many municipalities was far from enough to hold the upcoming Hazeldean “In many municipalities, infrastructure Roodt said Gauteng was the heartland of being reached. development in the east of Pretoria. is ageing and had been poorly maintained economic activity and electricity was needed Roodt said people were becoming more This enormous multi-billion rand needing upgrades,” he said. “The demand for businesses, manufacturers and provision and more opposed to developments such 950-hectare development would consist of, for electricity is not making it any easy. of services. as East City Capital as they realised that among others, 11 000 residential dwellings “The population continues rise as “There are many head offi ces in Pretoria they will have less access to electricity and situated south of the N4 highway, to the east urbanisation takes place. People move from and it is very important for them to keep on other services. This meant that the economy of the Silverlakes Golf Estate. neighbouring areas, including neighbouring functioning,” he said. would not grow as fast as it could have.” Known as East City Capital, it has also countries into municipal areas of Tshwane. been earmarked for the new Gauteng Rapid “So there is a rising demand of electricity, Rail station on route from Mamelodi to but inadequate resources. Midrand. “This leads to overloading of the The project is going ahead even though infrastructure, coupled with theft of STATIONARY OR ACCIDENT areas in the eastern part of town have electricity and non-payment.” been plagued by power outages caused by, Yelland said equipment failures were also among others, an increasing demand for inevitable as they were often overloaded and DAMAGED VEHICLE? electricity leading to overloads on the ageing the protecting of such equipment is bypassed. infrastructure. “Eventually transformers and cables WE STOCK A WIDE VARIETY OF GENUINE Tshwane metro mayor Randall Williams, will fail leading to great costs in repairs or PARTS FOR ALL VEHICLE TYPES however, said the metro had an “electricity replacements.” master plan” informed by current and future He said municipalities were experiencing developments. loadshedding, fi rstly as a punitive measure “New infrastructure and upgrades are of non-payments of their accounts, as well CALL US FOR MORE INFO therefore built with new developments as due to the overloading of transformers applications,” he said. and equipment circuits in the distribution ANSIE: The roads master plan of the node has also network as a result of electricity theft and been approved. non-payment. 012 404 2600 “Our electricity department’s capacity “It is, however, increasing prices of planning division is tracking demand. electricity from municipalities, but they Projects are being executed in consultation don’t seem to be able to collect the money 18438/29-1-21 with Eskom to ensure the demand is being because people in those municipal areas managed.” don’t have the money. According to Williams, municipal budget “The more the municipalities put up the WANNENBURG SPARES has over the last three years provided for money, the more people do not pay, the ever-increasing budgets for the renewal of more people make alternative arrangements, [email protected] the infrastructure. including theft of electricity and 2 PRETORIA FAR EAST REKORD JANUARY 29, 2021 NEWS www.rekordeast.co.za Loadshedding continues to damage infrastructure Noxolo Sibiya “The result is that substations can trip, old cable joints that can’t handle the load The Tshwane metro spent close to will explode, and switches can fail along R12.5-million on damages caused with various other issues that can plague to its various primary substations by our city infrastructure,” he said. loadshedding in the year 2020. “The switchgear electricity This was according to Tshwane mayor infrastructure that has been built in Randall Williams, who said the metro municipalities across the country is suff ered a major blow to its infrastructure simply not designed to be turned off and due to electricity cuts by power utility, on multiple times during the course of the Eskom. day.” Williams said loadshedding also caused As a result, there were instances when prolonged power outages, which left after loadshedding has ended some areas many parts of the metro in the dark for remained without power due to the faults Gauteng Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi briefi ng the media on Monday. Photo: GDE longer than expected. that arose. “Unfortunately, when Eskom switches Williams said altogether an estimated power off and on in the city it can R232-million was spent in the past signifi cantly harm and damage electricity fi nancial year, towards fi xing the metro’s infrastructure due to the continued power infrastructure caused by vandalism, cable Private schools delay surges,” he said. theft, natural and unnatural disasters. “For example, during loadshedding Emanating from damage caused by geysers cool down, then when power is fi re at the Kwagga infeed the metro spent restored all of these geysers in a particular R200-million in repairs. ‘physical’ reopening area will heat up simultaneously. This R30-million was spent on repairs at the causes an abnormal peak for a short Pyramid substation following lightning Sinesipho Schrieber in-contact learning, Lategan said the schools period which can disrupt the municipal damage and R2-million was spent on would proceed with online learning for grade circuits.” repairing equipment damaged at the Njala Last week Monday several private schools 1 to 12 learners last week. Williams said this was nothing new substation including circuit breakers, in Pretoria said they would migrate to online “Parents still have the option to either and the impact of loadshedding was often insulators and bridge pieces. learning and delay their “physical” reopening. return their children to school on 1 February persistent for hours, leaving residents “Historically, there is an increase in This decision follows an announcement by or to keep them at home where learning will without any power and was constantly network failures at the start of a new the Department of Education’s announcement continue online. Curro has a proven track causing damage on infrastructure that was cycle of loadshedding, but once these the week before last that schools’ reopening record of a successful hybrid and remote not designed for this type of activity. faults were repaired the reliability of the would be delayed for two weeks because of learning model, ensuring that quality learning Some residents have been experiencing network was also better,” Williams said. Covid-19. continues for all its learners.” outages since the start of the year “However, there are also other Curro Holdings, Another Pretoria- and with stage 2 being implemented, challenges in that cable theft syndicates which manages based private school, Williams said the prolonged outages were often take advantage of loadshedding to several schools in Parents still have Hatfi eld Christian persistent now because areas were being steal and vandalise the network as there Pretoria, said last week the option to either return school, said it would turned on and off repeatedly during the is no power fl ow making it easier to then Tuesday that their their children to school on also be migrating to day. operate covertly and steal cables.” schools would migrate 1 February or to keep them online learning to to online learning get started with the and also delay their at home where learning will academic calendar. reopening. continue online. “We have delayed This decision was our campus opening made following until further details a discussion on Monday evening with are made available,” said Hatfi eld Christian basic education director-general Hubert school administrative head Debbie Holloway. Mathanzima Mweli and representatives “The health and safety of pupils, parents from the Independent Schools Association and staff are a top priority for us. of Southern Africa and Independent Schools “While we are saddened that we cannot Formal Alliance. convene on campus, we can give our pupils a Curro’s campuses will now reopen on solid online education. We learnt much during 1 February with heightened protocols in place. the course of last year and will be able to “This date, however, depends on the current off er an even better off ering to our 800 pupils Covid-19 surge across the country,” said this year,” she said.