General News

A multi-stakeholder joint operation consisting Rustenburg Local Municipality, Law Enforcement Unit, South African Police Services, National Regulator for Compliance Specifications, Provincial Liquor Regulators and Consumer Affairs conducted a successful operation, which is part of the annual safer festive season campaign.

This operation, follows another joint operation which was conducted last week targeting liquor outlets and trading in the Rustenburg, for general fire safety, Covid-19 and liquor trading compliance. Yesterday’s operation, which continued late into the afternoon, was focusing on illegal electrical connections in business establishment, compliance with liquor trading provisions as well as compliance with consumer standards as the City prepares to official enter into the year-end festivities.

The operation was in Greater Boitekong, focused on price fixing, product quality, hygiene standards and illegal liquor trading.  One of the outlets which was inspected in Ramochana was fined R 2500.00 for contravention of municipal by-laws, while the investigations on the electrical connections confirmed no tempering. One of the fast food outlets in Boitekong Mall – Fish and Chips Company, was found to be selling expired food items. Roots Butchery also situated at the mall was found to be selling expired food items to the public and the fire safety standards were found to be non-compliant.

Both stores were charged accordingly while the identified items, were confiscated for disposal in line with the applicable environmental management by-laws. The drainage system at Hungry Lion was found to be a major health hazard as the odour which was to be directed outside has infiltrated the outlet internally in the kitchen area as well as non-compliance with the fire safety standards. One local business in Paardekraal was found to have connected electricity illegally and was fined R 25000.00 and the business was immediately disconnected.

Commenting on the operation, the Member of the Mayoral Committee on Public Safety – Councillor Victoria Makhaula said, with the festive season fast approaching residents needed to ensure that they receive value for money in all their transactions “food poisoning can have disastrous consequences, as such we urge residents to ensure that whatever they consume is safe. As the City, we will not relent to deal with those who are illegally accessing electricity, it is important for residents to remember that services provided by the Municipality need to be paid for, to ensure the financial sustainability of the RLM” she concluded.

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The Rustenburg Local Municipality through the Electrical Unit and Municipality Fire Safety Inspectorate, the South African Police Service (Tlhabane) and the North West Liquor Board held a joint operation to check the level of compliance at retailers permitted to conduct liquor trading. The operation follows numerous observations and reported incidents where some liquor licensees did not fully comply with the regulations, following the easing of lockdown regulations nationwide. The operation also focused on general community safety as well as crime prevention while restoring public order.

With the advent of Covid-19, strict adherence to health and safety protocols, remains a concern as patrons need to purchase and consumer where applicable in areas which are compliant with the Covid-19 regulations. One of the businesses which were found to be compliant with fire safety protocols was Mmatokelo’s Tarven was accordingly fined. Additionally, the business was found to be selling food, which was another contravention on it license and was fined accordingly. K and D Liquor Traders was found to be operating a tarven, while not permitted to do so in terms in of the business license. The license holder was also found to have failed to ensure on-site consumption in respect of the regulations, inclusive of those inforce during the lockdown. Another establishment; Tilly’s Tarven was not spared and fines were issued in accordance to numerous contraventions including Covid-19 regulations.

The Municipality, is serious of ridding the City of illegal electrical connections, to this extent Goddas Inn at Karlienpark was found to be have connected to the electrical network illegally. The electrical unit, disconnected the business and heavy fines were issued according to the applicable by-laws. Chirwa’s Bar was another business which was found to have connected illegally to the electrical network, with the supply bridged and absence of recording for the electricity usage. The business was found in contravention of various liquor regulations, including failure to keep documentation on site as required as well as failure to ensure on-site consumption. The abovementioned businesses were found to be contravention of the fire safety act as businesses which accommodated patrons during their trading hours and fined were issued to that effect.

Over 18 Liquor outlets was visited for inspection were electricity was tested for compliance, while some of the establishment passed the inspection. Some received fines and electricity was immediately disconnected for non-compliance. The Municipality cautions business owners across the City to desist from illegally connecting electricity, as this will result in heavy fines and the inconvenience of not having power supply.  The operations which are aimed at ridding Rustenburg of illegally acquired electricity will continue into the festive season and perpetrators will face the full might of the law. Residents are encouraged to report incidents of illegal electrical connections, which have dire consequences to service paying residents, which including power trips owing to the overloaded electrical network.

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The faulty public lighting generally leaves most of the parts of the City darkness; this is of serious concern to residents and the Rustenburg Local Municipality acknowledges the inconvenience.

The Municipality has at the beginning of the financial year placed formal tender specifications through the Municipal supply chain processes to acquire the required material to support the programme of repairing and maintaining the high masts lights, streets lights and traffic lights. The duration to acquire the required quantity of streetlight sections on the ± 14 000 streetlights in town will take a considerable period and will be a costly exercise. A tender will be advertised for this project, which will include labour and material per section.

Some streetlights being on during the day is also of serious concern to the residents. This has become a sensitive concern to the Municipality especially during the embankment of energy efficiency methods of supplying electricity. The cause of the streetlights being on during the day is due to the control mechanisms that automatically switch the lighting on and off being faulty.

The Municipality assures residents that once the legislative processes of acquiring all specialised equipment are completed, the repairs and maintenance backlogs will be addressed as top priority.

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On the 5^th November 2020 at around 15h00, the city of Rustenburg was hit by heavy rains, storms and lightning strikes. As a result, there were widespread electricity failures due to trees falling onto power lines, strong winds breaking power lines and insulators surrendering to water ingression. The Rustenburg Local Municipality wishes to extend its unreserved apology to customers that were adversely affected by the recent power outages and the inconvenience that followed thereafter.

Prior to this act of nature, there was vandalism at the Eskom Marang Switching Station supplying RLM Waterkloof Substation, which regrettably caused power interruptions to Boschdal, Cashan, Safarituin, R24 and Waterfall East areas, including the Samancor Millsell Sylvania Plant.

Whilst technicians were busy with the restoration, persistent bad weather continued thus affecting substations and power lines located in the following areas:

1. Industries Sub – K6 Mine, Seraleng, Ramochana, part of Zinniaville & Karlien Park and Noord
2. Kroondal Sub – Kroondal Line, Ikemeleng, Indian line, Pta line, Rainbow Chicken, Zuurplaat, Modderfontein, Waagfontein, Rhenosterfontein, Boschfontein and R24
3. Voltaire Sub – Boitekong Ext 2,4,5,6, 13 & 23, Paardekraal Exts, Sunrise Park and Sunrise View and Million Dollar.
4. Alpha Sub – Kutlwanong line
5. Donkerhoek – Rietvlei line and sections of Protea Park.

Individual households were not spared from the intermittent power outages as the Municipality received numerous individual complaints from Zinniaville, Noord, East End, Boitekong Extensions, Paardekraal Extensions, Bo Dorp and Seraleng respectively.

Our Electrical Teams have been working tirelessly and have to this extent, completed the following repairs and restored power to following sections:

1. Waterfall East, Nyala Rock, Samancor Plant, Noord, Seraleng and Ramochana and Kutlwanong Deaf School.
2. Boschdal, Safarituine and Cashan
3. Kroondal Town, Ikemeleng, Old Pretoria Road, R24 Road, Zuurplaat, Waagfontein, Modderfontein, Boschfontein, Oorsaak and Rainbow Farm.
4. Boitekong Exts, Paardekraal Extensions, Sunrise Park and Sunrise View.
5. Tree prunning was also done in the R24 lines and Zand street 6. MV Cable jointing X6 7. Repairs on the broken MV line in Rietvlei and Modderfontein

Although the Municipality had hoped to have fully restored power in the shortest time possible, the scale of the damage has proved to be much greater than initially estimated and as a result, there are still some outstanding faults that require our attention.

We have therefore developed a plan and allocated 6 X Teams during working hours and 3 X Teams after hours, to ensure that the City has lights fully back on by the 11th November 2020.

As of last night, there were several outstanding individual household complaints as well as Section faults, particularly in the East End areas. Residents can be assured that as our technicians continue to conduct repairs even around the clock, ensuring that Bo Dorp, Klopper 263 to 267, R24/Boschfontein – affecting R24 Boschfontein up to Hunters Rest and Dinnie Estate have their lights back on as soon as is possible.

We once more apologize for the inconvenience caused and be assured that the matter is receiving attention with the utmost focus that it deserves.  Further updates will be provided periodically as work continues to be carried out.

Your continued patience in this regard will be highly appreciated.

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