City Power refutes Mayibuye residents’ allegations, citing that they don’t want to buy electricity
Isaac Mangena, City Power spokesperson, said a significant portion of Mayibuye residents still refuse to purchase electricity legally and expect services which is unfair.
City Power’s Midrand Service Delivery Centre has responded to allegations made by Mayibuye residents and the Mayibuye Youth Activism Movement.
The movement and residents accused City Power of failing to repair damaged pillar panels, commonly known as pillar boxes.
Read more: City Power condemns intimidation of technicians and suspends service in Kanana Ext. 4 and 5
When asked by the publication whether City Power had informed residents that the panels would not be fixed, spokesperson Isaac Mangena responded, “No, we didn’t inform the residents that the pillar boxes would not be repaired. We communicated that repairs would be undertaken, provided there was a commitment from the residents to begin purchasing electricity following the normalisation of meters, which was agreed to.”
He explained that this agreement was necessary to ensure sustainable service delivery, including the maintenance and repair of infrastructure.
Residents also claimed that several mini-substations on various streets had been damaged for up to three months, affecting a local clinic and school. However, City Power denied these claims.
Mangena clarified that while repairs were scheduled and meter normalisation efforts were underway for residents who had bypassed their meters, the reported outages were exaggerated.
“While it is true that these essential facilities [clinic and school] have experienced power interruptions, we would like to clarify that the outages have not persisted for three months, as has been claimed. They have not been without power for a full month. Nonetheless, we acknowledge the impact even short-term outages can have on vital services, and we are working urgently to address the situation,” he added.
Mangena emphasised that a major challenge remains: many residents continue to refuse to purchase electricity legally while still expecting uninterrupted services.
He noted that some of the allegations came from individuals who consume electricity without paying for it, yet demand full access to services.
“This is unfair, as the revenue collected is critical for maintaining and repairing infrastructure, especially when damage occurs or when materials need to be replaced due to cable theft and vandalism,” Mangena concluded.
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