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City Power battles surge in outages as severe weather takes its toll

As Johannesburg grapples with power outages due to recent heavy rainfall, City Power is actively working to resolve issues, with over 3 500 logged queries and counting so far.

City Power had a busy welcome into 2025 with a backlog of outages stretching from last year, but they’re working through those challenges.

Isaac Mangena, spokesperson of City Power, stated that the entity is continuing to address the recent surge in power outages affecting Johannesburg.

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Despite ongoing challenges, including severe weather conditions that have caused extensive damage to electrical infrastructure, the team has proven to make strides in resolving interruptions over the past few days. “The heavy rainfall and flooding have led to uprooted trees and damage to underground cables. Placing immense pressure on City Power’s operations.”

Mangena emphasised the commitment to resolving all outstanding power supply interruptions, stating: “We are working diligently to overcome these obstacles.”

To bolster their efforts, additional resources have been deployed over the weekend, and more technicians have returned from breaks to ensure that operational teams are fully staffed. Teams are also being reallocated from less pressured Service Delivery Centres (SDCs) to those facing higher demand.

“As of today, City Power has logged 3 509 queries across its eight SDCs, with the Inner City, Hursthill, Randburg, and Roodepoort reporting the highest number of outage calls. Notably, five medium voltage outages were reported in the inner city, affecting several substations, including Braamfontein and Cleveland.”

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The Cleveland substation is currently addressing issues related to stolen and damaged cables. Mangena further highlighted that in Hursthill, four medium voltage outages were reported, with significant progress made at the Roosevelt substation, where 76% of power had been restored. However, some customers will remain without power until access is granted to a Ring Main Unit (RMU) for full restoration. The team is also actively investigating the cause of the outage at the Industria substation, according to Mangena.

Nicolene Jonker, Ward 88 councillor, expressed concern over the ongoing power outages, which have persisted since December 19. She noted that many faults are attributed to the rain, which has caused water to seep into cables.

“This is a major issue, and the team leaders are trying their best,” Jonker stated, urging residents to remain calm as City Power works to resolve the issues.

As teams are deployed to various areas trying to work on the faults in the cables, residents are assured that regular updates will be provided through social media and WhatsApp channels to keep them informed of progress.

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