Eskom management and municipalities within the Overstrand District met via Teams this morning, 20 May 2026, to provide an update on Estimated Times of Restoration (ETRs) following widespread power outages in the district.
Eskom explained that its current recovery plan focuses on fixing the 66 kV main supply lines first before attending to smaller lines and individual customer faults. Between 80% and 90% of the 66 kV lines have already been restored across the district.
While operations to restore power are ongoing, the ETRs provided for the remaining Overstrand areas are deeply concerning.
The current repair timelines given by Eskom are as follows:
* Baardskeerdersbos and Papiesvlei: 26 May 2026
* Farms around Stanford Lagoon: 29 May 2026
* Hemel-en-Aarde Valley: No ETR yet. Plans have been drafted to reroute the line running through the vineyard
* Hangklip area: Updates remain as per this morning’s 06:30 report
* Buffeljagsbaai and Franskraal: The Bredasdorp team is assisting at Buffeljagsbaai and successfully restored a section of the line late last night. However, a section in Franskraal feeding from the Grootbos line is currently off.
Why is it taking so long?
Overstrand Municipal Manager, Dr Dean O’Neill, directly questioned Eskom on what factors are driving these long delays and exactly what problems are causing the hold-ups.
Eskom explained that the delay is mainly due to 24 major feeder poles that have fallen to the ground on the Stanford-Gansbaai side and need to be replanted and restringed.
Another major issue is the shortage of resources, as many contractors authorised to work on Eskom lines are currently assisting in other parts of the country. Eskom said its main focus at present is restoring all 66 kV lines, after which additional support can be provided to the Overberg district.
Dr O’Neill again offered assistance from the municipality to help speed up the process. He also mentioned that farmers have offered the use of diggers and access to their properties if needed.
Farmers willing to assist are encouraged to contact George Lotter, Overstrand Municipality’s Senior Manager: Electrical, so that a list of available assistance can be prepared for Eskom when required on Tel: 028 384 8376 or Email: enquiries@overstrand.gov.za
Practical solutions proposed to Eskom
The Overstrand Electrical Department proposed several practical solutions to cut down the waiting times:
1. If materials are available on site, municipal teams could begin preparing the groundwork and digging holes so Eskom only has to do the final connection work, as the municipality is authorised to work on 11 kV lines.
2. The Sector Manager confirmed that some work can be done at ground level under supervision and without full authorisation, where this type of assistance can be provided.
3. Another suggestion raised during the meeting was that materials needed for restoration, including poles from Bellville, should be transported proactively and stored at substations or other suitable locations.
This would help save time once installation work begins, as transporting the materials will require several trips.
Dr O’Neill thanked Eskom for their openness in this morning’s meeting. He noted that while the Municipality understands Eskom is completely overwhelmed, working together and keeping the public informed is far better than remaining silent, as was the case in the past.
Issued by:
Overstrand Municipal Manager, Dr Dean O’Neill
