19 Sep 2022

Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) has over the weekend lost approximately P1.2 million to cable theft at substation 2100 which feeds Mokolodi, Notwane and Commerce Park. 

The substation reportedly has capacity to supply Gaborone Block Nine and Phase Four as well. 

Confirming the incident, BPC maintenance electrician Mr Lucky Moduane said in an interview that the vandalism involved underground cabling and overhead lines over a stretch of at least two kilometres. 

He said the perpetrators dug underground cables using shovels and proceeded to peel off the casings to remove the cables while 12 power poles were cut down to remove the aluminum steel reinforced cables. 

Mr Moduane explained that BPC had two modes of power supply using either copper cables or the cheaper aluminum conductors which covered longer distances. 

He said the suspicion was that the incident took place on Sunday because that was when a feeder tripper for the Mokolodi area raised an alarm. 

To restore supply,  two new poles were erected to temporarily feed Mokolodi, he explained  adding that the bulk of the work to rectify the situation awaited. 

Mr Moduane said either BPC staff or contractors would do the repairs. 

"We have to do it in the shortest time because our feed has to always have an alternative, so currently we are getting the interim supply from Notwane to service Mokolodi with no backup," he said.

 Mr Moduane said the corporation insisted on having two or more supply routes to an area to cater for any shortfalls. 

He revealed that BPC was working tirelessly in partnership with relevant ministries to address rampant copper theft beleaguering the parastatal. 

Mr Moduane disclosed that the aluminum cable theft was new saying tracer studies were being done to establish what they were being used for. 

Another BPC official, area engineer Mr Poloka Lekula said considering the extent of the damage as well as the cost of the stopgap measure, the corporation would need a minimum of P1.2 million. 

On time, he said at least 16 hours were required to repair the 12 vandalised poles provided multiple companies were contracted to undertake the works. 

In terms of rolling out SCADA technology, Mr Lekula said the first phase, which checked whether all substations were linked to the system, was at 90 per cent completion. 

The technology would enable BPC to remotely detect any malfunctions within the network and hopefully help reduce theft. ends