Armscor’s Erasmusrand building has been in the dark since last Thursday as a result of cable theft.
The building, in addition to housing the State-owned defence and security materiel company, provides office space for Minister Thandi Modise’s Defence Ministry and the headquarters function of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF).
defenceWeb is reliably informed the power disappearance was the result of cable theft from the municipal Erasmusrand sub-station to the glass-fronted, multi-storey building last Thursday (29 February). Tshwane Metro appointed contractors are replacing cable with normal operations expected to resume later today (Wednesday, 6 March).
Generators have provided power for work.
In January last year Eskom’s power cuts reached a point where ongoing loadshedding affected productivity, mainly as a result of non- and partially functioning air conditioning, to the extent that Armscor personnel were asked to work from home. In March 2022 “broken” air conditioners in the building were replaced to avoid personnel having to work in what was then described as “excessively hot conditions”.
The cable theft incident comes hard on the heels on the SA Air Force (SAAF) having to relocate headquarters personnel to other locations due to HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system malfunctions. The hardened Loftus building on the western side of the Pretoria central business district (CBD) was deemed not fit for human habitation by the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL). Inspectors referred to the quality of “breathable air”, high temperatures in the building and “challenges” with fresh air ventilation.
