The City of Ekurhuleni has confirmed that major progress has been made in restoring electricity to Palm Ridge and surrounding areas after a fire at the local substation on July 3 left thousands without power.

According to city spokesperson Zweli Dlamini, two of the three transformers that were not damaged in the fire have now been energised. Power restoration is expected to begin this afternoon, July 14 and will continue in phases over the next two days.

“Technicians will monitor the grid closely during this period to detect any abnormalities as supply is gradually restored,” said Dlamini.

Key restoration times announced:

• Palm Ridge Proper and Palm Ridge High Court are expected to be reconnected from 15:00 today.
• Sky City is scheduled for restoration later today, at approximately 18:00.
• The Namhlanje switching station, which supplies half of the Palm Ridge extensions, is expected to come online by 13:00 on Tuesday.
• The Escalator switching station, supplying the remaining Palm Ridge extensions, is set for 16:00 on Tuesday.

Dlamini added that customers who may still experience power issues after these times are likely affected by technical faults or third-party interference, which will be attended to once full grid stability is achieved.

“All customers are urged to treat electrical network as live while work continues,” said Dlamini.

Last week, the city confirmed that two transformers had passed key tests. A contingency plan was also put in place to bypass the fire-damaged control building and supply power directly to key switching stations in the area.

The substation fire severely damaged infrastructure, including the ripple control room that housed essential electrical breakers. An investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing, with suspected illegal connections being cited by many in the community.

WATCH: Full power restoration in Palm Ridge expected by July 15, says Ekurhuleni