“We will not be a municipality that misleads its community with quick and grand promises of alternative energy solutions that will supposedly replace Eskom and get its municipal area off the grid,” said Alderman Conrad Poole, Executive Mayor of Drakenstein Municipality. “Reckless and irresponsible statements create expectations that no municipality can meet. It is not that easy, cheap, or quick to get off or semi off the grid.” Drakenstein Municipality’s loadshedding resilience plan is based on a commitment to local government’s core business and mandate and on a pledge to keep working responsibly with public funds. The plan comprises of three pillars: 1. Sustainable service delivery To safeguard municipal infrastructure and mitigate any possible service delivery disruptions caused by Eskom loadshedding, the Municipality has put into place comprehensive contingency measures. To address traffic control challenges during loadshedding, Drakenstein Municipality is following an innovative approach: it has already equipped over half (54%) of its 48 primary signalised traffic intersections with Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) systems. These systems are installed in underground chambers to prevent vandalism and robberies. By the end of June this year, 47 of these traffic intersections will be upgraded with UPS systems. In addition, the Municipality’s point duty service officer corps has been bumped up to assist with regulating traffic flow. “Over the past five years, we have installed backup generators at our water and wastewater facilities - such as our water and sewer pump stations and wastewater treatment works - to ensure basic services keep running despite Eskom loadshedding,” says Alderman Poole.
The generation of energy is a National Government competency and responsibility. Local government’s core focus and funded mandate is to render municipal services such as water, sanitation, waste management, electricity reticulation, roads, and infrastructure. Drakenstein Municipality takes its responsibility seriously and will focus on delivering sustainable and excellent services. The Municipality has reinforced its Eskom Loadshedding Resilience Plan, resting on three pillars: 1) Sustainable service delivery; 2) Revenue protection; and 3) Alternative energy. Drakenstein Municipality Reinforces Three-pronged Eskom Loadshedding Resilience Plan
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VARS | March
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