Alexandra’s power restoration hinges on 80% customer verification
Power supply to some parts of Alexandra, including 15th Avenue, 3rd Avenue, and Tsutsumani, will be restored only if at least 80% of residents are verified as purchasing electricity from legitimate vendors.
City Power has announced that electricity will not be restored in parts of Alexandra, including 15th Avenue, 3rd Avenue between London Road and Roosevelt Street, and Tsutsumani, until at least 80% of residents are verified as purchasing electricity from authorised vendors. The utility attributes ongoing outages, which have persisted for more than three weeks, to network overloading.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena confirmed that two new Pole Mounted Transformers (PMTs) and a mini substation unit were scheduled to be delivered on August 22 to replace damaged equipment. However, the restoration of power to affected areas might take longer than residents expect.
Read more: City Power alarmed by transformer vandalism in Alexandra, Lombardy East
This is because of a decision the utility announced on August 15. At the time, the utility admitted that it was inundated with cases of damaged ground-mounted transformers and PMTs and was already facing backlogs in sourcing replacement equipment due to the escalating rate of damage. As a result, the utility noted that going forward, after they replace a mini-substation or transformer, they will conduct meter audits before restoring power supply to affected areas.
“Our teams will go door-to-door to assess customers’ electricity purchasing history, verify vending records, and confirm purchases from reputable vendors,” he noted, urging customers to keep receipts or other proof of their monthly electricity purchases. “If less than 80% of customers in the affected area can’t provide proof that they have been purchasing electricity, City Power will not restore the power supply.”
Mangena noted that City Power couldn’t continue bearing the escalating cost of replacing damaged infrastructure only for it to be damaged again because of illegal activities.
For residents in 15th Avenue, 3rd Avenue and Tsutsumani, Mangena noted that if vending levels fell below the required threshold, restoration of power to their areas would be delayed until meters were normalised and compliance improved. “This approach promotes fairness, sustainability, and reduces recurring outages.”
City Power is also intensifying its network normalisation programme, which includes removing illegal connections, replacing tampered meters, and conducting routine vending pattern checks. The utility warned that illegal connections not only overloaded the network but also posed serious risks, including fires and fatalities.
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