Times Of Swaziland: STORM’S HAVOC

STORM’S HAVOC
================================================================================
BY SITHEMBILE HLATSHWAYO on 21/12/2018 00:43:00


MBABANE – The storm that struck the country on Wednesday night has broken down
two main lines that carry power from South Africa to Eswatini, causing a huge
damage.
Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) has received 2 483 faults across the country.
The company’s Corporate Communications and Marketing Manager, Sifiso Dhlamini,
said the main line from SA which runs through Nhlangano was entirely damaged,
which made the situation very difficult to manage.
Dhlamini said it was not easy to state how long it would take to fix the problem
as the damage was extensive. However, he said necessary measures to restore
power in the affected places were in place including recalling employees who
were on leave.
He said the Stonehenge Deport received a total of 765 faults which included
faulty transformers, broken conductors and trees that fell on power lines.
Dhlamini said affected areas included Ezulwini, the Mbabane Central Business
District (CBD), Dalriach, Mahwalala, Mangwaneni, Mantabeni, Siphocosini, Pine
Valley and some parts of Thembelihle.
faults
He said in Malkerns Depot, there were 386 faults which affected Mankayane,
Ngwempisi, Ngwenyameni, Ntondozi, Lushikishini, Dwalile, Zondwako, Luhleko and
Lundzi. In Manzini there were 290 faults reported at Luve, Kutsimuleni, Nkiliji,
Ngculwini and Ntabamhloshana. There were 284 faults reported in the Nhlangano
Depot and affected areas include Mahamba, Maseyisini, Zombodze, Hlatikhulu and
surrounding areas.
Other affected depots included Siteki which received 204 faults at Mpaka,
Malindza, Matsetsa, Mbadlane, Sikhuphe, Mlindazwe and Ntamakuphila. At the
Hluthi Depot, the entire network was disturbed and 143 faults were reported,
while at the Matsapha Depot 142 faults were reported in Mbekelweni, Sigombeni,
Matsapha Industrial Sites and Nhlambeni.
Meanwhile, a guardhouse at Sibebe Resort was not spared from Wednesday’s
thunderstorm as lightning struck the structure which was under construction.
The guardhouse is situated about three kilometres away from the resort.
Operations Manager Larry Mhlanga confirmed the incident. He said the resort was
not affected in any way as it had lightning arrestors that prevented it from
such incidents.
Mhlanga said the incident occurred at a time when they were in the process of
pegging for the installation of the lightning arrestors towards the guardhouse.
“Operations are continuing as normal. The actual resort venue was not affected
at all by Wednesday’s harsh weather conditions,” he said.