City Power has confirmed that 7th Avenue residents affected by prolonged outages will be required to pay R500 before restoration and normalisation processes can proceed.

Despite mounting frustration in communities hit by weeks–long outages, the utility insists the requirement is non–negotiable and central to stabilising Johannesburg’s fragile power network. In a detailed response to Alex News’ query about electricity challenges in Alexandra, City Power acknowledged outages on 7th Avenue, between Hofmeyer and Selbourne Streets, where residents have been without electricity for more than three weeks. The utility linked the issue to infrastructure challenges and issues relating to electricity consumption and network normalisation, compounded by illegal connections, meter bypassing, low electricity purchases, and excessive usage that overloads the system.

Read more: City Power bleeds as only 4% of 40 000 customers in Alexandra pay for power

“These activities place strain on the infrastructure,” City Power’s spokesperson Isaac Mangena said, “contributing to recurring faults, and impacting the stability of the electricity supply in the area.”

The normalisation programme, rolled out in February 2026, installed 70 meters on 7th Avenue and 174 on 8th Avenue, alongside 20 electrical boxes, yet compliance has been dismal. Audits conducted on February 4 revealed that none of the households were vending power at the time.

City Power explained that the R500 requirement is part of a citywide approach to formalise supply, reduce illegal connections, and protect infrastructure. Of the amount, R200 covers service charges, while R300 is credited back to the customer’s meter in electricity units once the process is complete. Mangena said indigent households registered under the expanded social package pay a reduced R200.

The R500 requirement has been a burning issue among residents and councillors in the community. Alex News understands that councillors in Alex had a meeting with City Power on May 14, and, among other issues, they raised the contentious issue of the R500 payment requirement. Despite these discussions, Mangena confirmed that the R500 is here to stay. “City Power’s position remains unchanged, and we will not be reconsidering the implementation of the R500 requirement at this stage.”

The policy has also been applied to 6th Avenue, where a mini–substation was damaged. Mangena said a community engagement was held on May 7 with residents and the ward councillor, during which it was agreed that electricity purchases must reach a 100% compliance threshold before restoration can proceed.

Also read: City Power says only one councillor pays for electricity in Alexandra

Beyond Alexandra’s immediate outages, the Vukani electrification project has also stalled. City Power confirmed that a transformer has been delivered on site, but progress has been delayed by community disruptions linked to prolonged outages and by financial constraints.

The utility admitted it cannot provide guarantees or timelines for completion, promising only to keep residents and stakeholders informed once clarity emerges.

Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates