PRETORIA, Thursday 1 October 2026 — The Freedom Front Plus has invited experienced electrical engineers and technicians to apply to serve on a proposed technical advisory panel focused on Tshwane’s electricity network and its maintenance needs.
The initiative was announced by Freedom Front Plus councillor and Tshwane mayoral candidate Willie Spies, who said the party wanted the panel to help develop an affordable maintenance and electricity network turnaround plan after the 4 November local government elections.
Spies was announced as the FF Plus’s Tshwane mayoral candidate in February and was sworn in as a Tshwane councillor in August.
According to the party, the proposed panel would include experienced working and retired technicians and engineers with relevant high-voltage expertise.
The FF Plus said one of its proposed tasks would be to conduct an independent audit of Tshwane’s high-voltage electricity network and identify repair and capacity-restoration work that could be carried out within the municipality’s financial resources.
The panel would also be asked to make recommendations on the deployment of qualified technical personnel and develop proposals for managing electricity supply through measures such as backfeeding and load reduction while permanent repairs are carried out.
The party said it also wanted the panel to examine opportunities for cooperation with communities and the private sector on solar generation and microgrids in areas where conventional network repairs could take longer.
The proposal comes amid continuing concerns about the condition and reliability of parts of Tshwane’s electricity infrastructure.
In its 2026 State of the Capital Address, the City said more than half of its transformers were over 40 years old, with some exceeding 60 years. The City said it had introduced an Electricity Stabilisation Plan and was working to strengthen and refurbish parts of the network.
Tshwane’s draft 2026/27 budget also included funding for electricity infrastructure projects, including refurbishment work at Waltloo, Njala and Rosslyn substations and strengthening of parts of the electricity network.
The state of the network was again highlighted this week after an explosion at Waltloo Substation on 29 September caused the 132 kV Njala Infeed Substation supply grid to trip, disrupting electricity supply to several primary substations. The City dispatched technical teams to assess the damage and determine the repairs required.
The FF Plus said people interested in serving on its proposed panel could submit their details and a summary of their high-voltage experience to Spies. The party said it wanted the panel ready to begin work after the municipal elections.
The release did not specify how many members would serve on the panel, whether positions would be remunerated or what formal status the panel would have within the municipality if established.
South Africa’s 2026 Local Government Elections are scheduled for Wednesday, 4 November, when voters will elect new municipal councils across the country. The election date was formally proclaimed in August.
