The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tshwane is concerned that, despite the city of Tshwane reporting full budget spending on the Wapadrand Substation, the substation is not commissioned and seemingly work is not fully finalised yet.
English soundbite by Cllr Themba Fosi
The DA will be calling for a report on the City’s Utilities oversight committee to get certainty on the future power supply for the residents of Pretoria East.
In an oversight visit to the substation in March this year, DA Ward Councillors were assured that the first phase of the project was completed and that it would have been commissioned before end of April, with the second phase to have been completed and commissioned before the end of June 2025.
In a recent report on capital projects serving in the City’s Finance Section 79 Oversight Committee, the ANC coalition reported a 100% spend on the project. This, combined with the fact that there is no additional budget allocated in the 2025/2026 financial year, raises concerns on whether the City paid for work that should still be completed – or if the project has run out of budget and will now become a white elephant.