A recent power outage at Tsumeb was caused after a municipal contractor damaged an underground cable with an excavator, Central North Regional Electricity Distributor (Cenored) spokesperson Chali Matengu said on Monday.
Matengu said Cenored has consistently informed local authorities to consult it before assigning work to contractors to know where electrical ground pipes are to prevent such incidents.
"There was that whole thing between Cenored and the municipality because we have always maintained that before they get these contractors, they must touch base with us so that we direct where our lines are going," he said.
Although the damage led to a power cut, the electricity distributor replaced the damaged cable to restore the electricity supply.
According to Cenored, it expects the Tsumeb Municipality to refund the cost of the cable.
"We managed to get a cable, we replaced that, and now the issue is between Cenored and the municipality and the contractor," Matengu said.
Cenored is a regional electricity distribution company with its head office at Otjiwarongo, supplying electricity to parts of the country such as the Kunene, Oshikoto, Omaheke and Otjozondjupa regions
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