Residents in several Kempton Park suburbs remain without electricity today, January 7, as power interruptions linked to infrastructure damage and network faults continue to affect the area.

In the latest available update shared by ward 17 councillor Simon Lapping, Kempton Park Energy confirmed that the outages were impacting Esther Park, Spartan, Cresslawn, Kempton Park CBD, Kempton Park 2, Van Riebeeck Park, Birch Acres and Terenure.

In Esther Park, including Rhino, Roan, Sable, Giraffe and Cheetah streets, Parkland and surrounding areas, the outage was caused by the theft and vandalism of electrical infrastructure.

“Officials indicated that materials required for repairs are being sourced, with an estimated restoration time (ERT) expected to be communicated at 13:00,” said Lapping.

Parts of Spartan and Cresslawn were affected by what teams described as a suspected cable fault, with test teams on site attempting to locate the fault. Restoration times will be confirmed once the fault has been successfully identified.

Also read: Days without power push Rhodesfield residents to protest

In Kempton Park CBD and Kempton Park 2, including Pretoria Road, Monument, Central Avenue, Huggett, Highfield, Profusa and Partridge Avenue, officials reported multiple faults on the electricity network, with ERTs still to be determined.

Officials were also dispatched to Van Riebeeck Park, Birch Acres and Terenure, where teams are isolating faults. No restoration times were available at the time of publication.

Ward 17 councillor Simon Lapping said the latest outages reflect an ongoing electricity crisis in Kempton Park, particularly in Spartan and Cresslawn, where some residents have reportedly been without power since Sunday evening.

“Yet again we have a situation of no electricity affecting parts of Spartan and Cresslawn and surrounding suburbs,” Lapping said.

He referenced a similar incident in December, when residents of Rhodesfield Extension 1 went to the Plane Road electricity depot after being without power for almost five days.

“What came out of that engagement was that the electricity department was clearly not being fully transparent regarding the situation. Only after residents expressed their anger did the department take the matter seriously and restore power,” he said.

Also read: Rhodesfield Extension 1 residents finally get power back

Lapping said a lack of clear communication continues to fuel frustration among affected communities.

“The department has not been completely honest about the situation and because of this residents quite rightly become agitated. As councillors, we are constantly requesting updates, but very little information is forthcoming,” he added.

He said the Democratic Alliance believes the implementation of a shift system within the electricity department would improve service delivery.

“The shift system will ensure the availability of services that residents deserve and will also remove the reliance on capped overtime, which often results in after-hours services coming to a standstill,” Lapping said.

Further details have been formally requested from the City of Ekurhuleni, and updates will be shared as soon as additional information becomes available.