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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Areas including Dobsonville Extensions 3 and 5, Jabulani, Mofolo North, Naledi, Tladi, Zola, Zondi, Emdeni, Moletsane and Old Dobsonville were affected when an explosion occurred and a fire broke out at the Zola substation on Wednesday, 12 June. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Services were restored in some parts and Eskom said technicians were busy in the remaining areas, which include Emdeni, Moletsane and Old Dobsonville.</span>\r\n<h4><b>Health services</b></h4>\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2229312\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ED_508587.jpg\" alt=\"zola substation fire\" width=\"720\" height=\"440\" /> <em>The fire at the Zola substation in Soweto on 12 June 2024 left several areas without power. Gauteng health department spokesman Motalatale Modiba said the fire caused minor disruptions to operations in health facilities. (Photo: Gallo Images / Fani Mahuntsi)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On Wednesday, Gauteng health department spokesman Motalatale</span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Modiba</span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">said the fire caused minor disruptions to operations in health facilities in the affected areas and that a few were operating on generators.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Services are continuing as normal at Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital and the Tladi and Zola Gateway clinics,” said Modiba. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He said contractors were on site assessing the Zola community health centre (CHC) after the generator packed up.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The contractor is on site busy fixing the generator. The transformer will also need to be fixed, but parts have been ordered.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“At Zola CHC, other services are being provided except for the MOU and accident and emergency units that are still on diversion to Mofolo and Chiawelo community health centres,” said Modiba. </span>\r\n<h4><b>Vandalism</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eskom has been battling vandalism of its assets for some time, not just in Gauteng but around the country. The electricity provider told </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily Maverick</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that last month there had been 40 incidents of vandalism in Gauteng alone.</span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2229315\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ED_508578.jpg\" alt=\"zola substation fire\" width=\"720\" height=\"450\" /> <em>Residents observe the fire at the Zola substation on 12 June 2024. (Photo: Gallo Images / Fani Mahuntsi)</em></p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The power utility said it had identified hot spots and introduced technology to assist security guards deployed across the province.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Eskom is further driving public education across Gauteng to raise awareness of this problem among communities so that they too can assist in reporting such criminal acts,” Eskom said. </span>\r\n<h4><b>Convictions</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eskom said there had been two successful convictions of people involved in vandalism in the past seven months in Gauteng, adding that they were confident in the work of the police in fighting the scourge. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, it had become clear that implementing preventative measures instead would yield better results. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We have joined forces with SAPS to conduct continuous unannounced scrapyard raids across the province,” Eskom said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eskom told </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily Maverick</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> there had been five deaths related to illegal electricity connections since the beginning of 2023. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“There is a combination of heavily armed syndicates and drug addicts that are responsible for the theft and vandalism of Eskom infrastructure. The syndicates execute armed robberies at the guarded substations and the CNCs, stealing anything valuable that could be sold at scrap dealers or used for illegal connections, while the drug addicts do petty crimes operating as individuals or in groups.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eskom said it had</span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">replaced 400 transformers damaged by network overloading since January. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The power utility said 2,500 transformers around the country were frequently overloaded and at risk of failure, while another 1,000 were to be replaced. </span><b>DM</b>",
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"name": "Onlookers at the fire at the Zola substation on 12 June 2024. (Photo: Gallo Images / Fani Mahuntsi)",
"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Areas including Dobsonville Extensions 3 and 5, Jabulani, Mofolo North, Naledi, Tladi, Zola, Zondi, Emdeni, Moletsane and Old Dobsonville were affected when an explosion occurred and a fire broke out at the Zola substation on Wednesday, 12 June. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Services were restored in some parts and Eskom said technicians were busy in the remaining areas, which include Emdeni, Moletsane and Old Dobsonville.</span>\r\n<h4><b>Health services</b></h4>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2229312\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"720\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2229312\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ED_508587.jpg\" alt=\"zola substation fire\" width=\"720\" height=\"440\" /> <em>The fire at the Zola substation in Soweto on 12 June 2024 left several areas without power. Gauteng health department spokesman Motalatale Modiba said the fire caused minor disruptions to operations in health facilities. (Photo: Gallo Images / Fani Mahuntsi)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On Wednesday, Gauteng health department spokesman Motalatale</span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Modiba</span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">said the fire caused minor disruptions to operations in health facilities in the affected areas and that a few were operating on generators.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Services are continuing as normal at Bheki Mlangeni District Hospital and the Tladi and Zola Gateway clinics,” said Modiba. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He said contractors were on site assessing the Zola community health centre (CHC) after the generator packed up.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“The contractor is on site busy fixing the generator. The transformer will also need to be fixed, but parts have been ordered.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“At Zola CHC, other services are being provided except for the MOU and accident and emergency units that are still on diversion to Mofolo and Chiawelo community health centres,” said Modiba. </span>\r\n<h4><b>Vandalism</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eskom has been battling vandalism of its assets for some time, not just in Gauteng but around the country. The electricity provider told </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily Maverick</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that last month there had been 40 incidents of vandalism in Gauteng alone.</span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_2229315\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"720\"]<img class=\"size-full wp-image-2229315\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ED_508578.jpg\" alt=\"zola substation fire\" width=\"720\" height=\"450\" /> <em>Residents observe the fire at the Zola substation on 12 June 2024. (Photo: Gallo Images / Fani Mahuntsi)</em>[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The power utility said it had identified hot spots and introduced technology to assist security guards deployed across the province.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“Eskom is further driving public education across Gauteng to raise awareness of this problem among communities so that they too can assist in reporting such criminal acts,” Eskom said. </span>\r\n<h4><b>Convictions</b></h4>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eskom said there had been two successful convictions of people involved in vandalism in the past seven months in Gauteng, adding that they were confident in the work of the police in fighting the scourge. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, it had become clear that implementing preventative measures instead would yield better results. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“We have joined forces with SAPS to conduct continuous unannounced scrapyard raids across the province,” Eskom said.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eskom told </span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daily Maverick</span></i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> there had been five deaths related to illegal electricity connections since the beginning of 2023. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">“There is a combination of heavily armed syndicates and drug addicts that are responsible for the theft and vandalism of Eskom infrastructure. The syndicates execute armed robberies at the guarded substations and the CNCs, stealing anything valuable that could be sold at scrap dealers or used for illegal connections, while the drug addicts do petty crimes operating as individuals or in groups.”</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eskom said it had</span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">replaced 400 transformers damaged by network overloading since January. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The power utility said 2,500 transformers around the country were frequently overloaded and at risk of failure, while another 1,000 were to be replaced. </span><b>DM</b>",
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The fire at the Zola substation in Soweto on 12 June 2024 left several areas without power. Gauteng health department spokesman Motalatale Modiba said the fire caused minor disruptions to operations in health facilities. (Photo: Gallo Images / Fani Mahuntsi)
Residents observe the fire at the Zola substation on 12 June 2024. (Photo: Gallo Images / Fani Mahuntsi)