Centlec, the Mangaung Metro Municipality’s power distributor, is lamenting the devastating fire that caused extensive damage to the power network along the route at Bloemfontein’s South Park Cemetery.
The entity is yet to quantify financial costs to replace destroyed lines with new ones while investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.
The destructive fire was detected in the early hours of 2 June after residents and businesses in the southern area of the city made enquiries as to why there was no power supply. Thick black smoke was billowing above the area for days.
Lele Mamatu, spokesperson of the entity, said the impact of the fire was far-reaching having affected both the underground network and the overhead infrastructure including wooden and steel poles as well as cables.
“We are yet to quantify the costs of damage to the infrastructure. Fire has impacted the underground network and thus it will take time to detect severely affected areas.
“We are working directly with our insurer who is very resourceful to assess the extent of damage. Findings of the investigation will further inform us of the extent of damages caused by fire. Afterwards a report will be made public,” said Mamatu.
He said the entity has opened a criminal case at the police in Bloemfontein and that investigation into the matter was underway to find the culprits that started the fire.
“We are extremely concerned as this appears to be a deliberate campaign by criminals to sabotage our infrastructure and network,” said Mamatu.
He has appealed to the public with information about the culprits that started the fire to come forward.
There is strong suspicion that some of the waste pickers who are scavenging recyclable items at the landfill could have started the fire, burning loads of solid waste disposed in and along the route, ignoring the impact thereof.
It has become a norm for residents of the Mangaung Metro Municipality to willy-nilly dispose of large amounts of waste products on sides of streets, roads, buildings including schools premises, without any action taken against them.
The route along the South Park Cemetery has since become difficult for use due to waste lying in the road.
Scores of waste pickers scavenging for recyclable material can be seen forcing some vehicles to drop off loads of waste on and next to the road leading to the landfill and the cemetery.
