City Power leaves Riverpark residents in the dark
Alexandra residents in Riverpark are left without electricity after City Power’s cut-off operation in the Mahauzana area.
Riverpark residents were left furious after City Power conducted a cut-off operation, targeting illegal electricity connections that have long plagued the Mahauzana region. The operation saw the utility remove 15 000kg of aerial bundle conductor cables with an estimated value of R2.5m, plunging residents into darkness on July 2.
Having identified Riverpark as a hotspot for illegal connections, and high community resistance to lawful disconnection drives, the utility roped in law enforcement agencies, Tactical Security Services, and Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens.
Read more: City Power seizes cables worth about R2.5m in Riverpark
Isaac Mangena, City Power’s general manager for Public Relations and Communication, said the drive was a direct response to persistent illegal connections that have severely strained the power network. “Overloaded systems have recently caused two mini substations to explode, endangering lives and disrupting supply to paying customers. This operation aimed to ease pressure on our infrastructure and restore safety to the community.”
While many residents acknowledged the dangers posed by unauthorised electricity access, the sudden cut-off has left them fuming and frustrated. “We demand electricity. We want to buy electricity. We are also people – we have hearts and we breathe,” resident Nancy Ramashala stressed. Ramashala and others said that they are not opposed to paying for electricity, but with no formal options available, they have threatened to illegally connect to the grid again.
The crackdown has also exposed tensions within the Alexandra community in the Mahauzana area. While some residents slammed the operation as unjust, stressing that they have been plunged into indefinite winter darkness, others, like Moirah Mahlase, welcomed the move, expressing relief that paying customers will no longer be dragged into outages caused by illegal connections. “We will now purchase electricity with open hearts, knowing there are no more illegal connections.”
At the heart of the Mahauzana illegal connection saga is a forgotten provincial housing project. According to City Power, many of the buildings illegally connected to mini substations were part of a Gauteng Provincial Government initiative that was left unfinished. Residents have since occupied the premises illegally. Mangena emphasised that City Power would continue collaborating with the Department of Human Settlements and Infrastructure to find sustainable solutions. “We are committed to ensuring the community has access to safe and reliable electricity,” he said.
While City Power highlighted the dangers associated with illegal connections, the operation laid bare the desperation of residents who feel forced to choose between dark and freezing nights or unlawful access to basic services.
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