Following Eskom’s announcement that it is implementing Stage 6 load-shedding, the City’s Disaster Risk Management Centre has convened the multi-departmental Disaster Coordinating Team.
City-supplied customers are on Stage 5, following Eskom’s announcement that it is moving to Stage 6. The City is monitoring the situation, which remains precarious and could change at short notice. The City is doing all it can to protect critical infrastructure, including its electricity network, safeguard essential basic services and safety operations. Back-up power supply to power some operations are also affected by continuous high stages of load-shedding. The City is also using its Steenbras Hydro Pumped Station to generate spare capacity to protect critical infrastructure, however it becomes increasingly difficult to generate spare capacity at the highest stages of load-shedding.
The City’s transversal Disaster Operations Centre has been activated to mitigate any potential impact for the residents of Cape Town.
The first priority is to manage traffic flow during the afternoon peak hours, through point-duty at major intersections affected by load-shedding.
A number of intersections have been identified as part of the City’s readiness plan for higher stages of load-shedding and these are manned by Traffic, Metro Police and Law Enforcement officers.
Additional enforcement resources are also being deployed to deal with any public safety issues, or in areas affected by prolonged power outages.
The City appeals to residents to be aware of the load-shedding schedule and to keep the following tips top of mind:
• Access to, and lighting of your home: make sure that batteries for automated gates, garage doors and security systems are able to last through periods of load-shedding. Store temporary lighting such as battery-powered torches, gas lamps and candles in places where they will be easy to find in the dark.
• Make sure that your vehicle always has fuel in the tank as most petrol stations are unable to pump fuel during power outages. Traffic lights that are out and unmanned, should be treated as four-way stops at intersections.
• Ensure that your cell phone, laptop, tablet and radio are always fully charged when power is available. This will allow you to be able to communicate with friends and family during load-shedding.
• Safety around the home: ensure that all non-essential appliances are switched off before load-shedding starts. Take extra care when using open flames or other heat sources for cooking or lighting. Ensure that gates, windows and doors are secured.
‘There are numerous potential impacts from these higher stages of load-shedding and while the City is deploying its resources as best it can to mitigate any risks to the public, we ask that residents do their bit by putting safety first, and to be aware of their surroundings at all times. Load-shedding does unfortunately come with an increased risk of opportunistic crimes like cable theft and smash and grab incidents, so please plan your routes carefully and be very alert when you have to stop at intersections. Also, should you witness a crime or a potentially life threatening emergency, please contact the Public Emergency Communication Centre on 021 480 7700 or 107 from a land line,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.
Source: City Of Cape Town