Mahauzana leaders welcome City Power’s temporary electricity solution
After years of persistent advocacy, Mahauzana’s interim committee and Ward 81 councillor Joanne Horwitz secure a temporary electricity solution from City Power, addressing infrastructure overload and safety risks from illegal connections.
The Mahauzana interim committee has welcomed City Power’s initiative to implement a temporary solution to address the area’s persistent electricity challenges.
One of the community leaders, Mapule Mogoba, noted that it aligns with the committee’s long-standing efforts, alongside Ward 81 councillor Joanne Horwitz, to secure reliable electricity access.
The interim solution announced by City Power marks a step forward in alleviating the infrastructure overload caused by widespread illegal connections—a concern Horwitz said she repeatedly highlighted.
For years, Horwitz has advocated for the installation of essential infrastructure to electrify River Park, but she said progress stalled until she proposed a workable and temporary solution.
Also read: City Power announces interim solution for Mahauzana’s electricity woes
“Only after this DA-led initiative did the wheels begin turning—with Environment and Infrastructure Services Department MMC Jack Sekwaila finally signing off on the much-needed additional infrastructure installation.”
Although Horwitz credited her ‘relentless’ collaboration with the community interim committee for breaking the deadlock, City Power said the solution was designed by the Alexandra Service Delivery Centre (SDC) under general manager Mamodise Nkogatse and her team.
“This solution is the first of its kind in Johannesburg. It involves the temporary installation of a bulk electricity supply to Mahauzana Flats through a dedicated mini substation and between four to six pillar boxes per block of flats,” City Power shared.
For Mogoba, the solution offers more than just relief from frequent power outages; it addresses serious safety concerns. “The way people were striving for electricity, we just saw that it is again leading to unsafe illegal connections,” Mogoba shared.
ALso read: Illegal connections blamed for outages in River Park
Under the interim plan, City Power will supply bulk electricity to the residential blocks, while internal distribution and unit replenishment will be managed by residents. “Each account will be registered under a residents’ committee within each block. Should any illegal connections or non-vending be detected, City Power will not hesitate to disconnect power to the flats or the entire area if necessary.”
Mogoba reassured that the community is committed to compliance. “We are willing to pay for electricity; that is not the problem. We had the meeting with the community, and we agreed on that.”
As the project moves forward, Horwitz confirmed that City Power will proceed with infrastructure installation once high-demand distributors are secured.
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