Ongoing power outages in rural communities across Randfontein have sparked growing frustration among residents, while opposition parties continue to question explanations provided by Rand West City Local Municipality (RWCLM).

Residents affected by repeated electricity disruptions say the outages are severely impacting daily life, with concerns mounting over ageing infrastructure, delayed repairs and the municipality’s ability to maintain stable service delivery.

The latest outage was reported on May 20 in Mohlakeng, with residents receiving updates through social media groups and posts.

The outages, previously reported by the Randfontein Herald, have been linked to the failure of at least six 6.6kV pole-mounted transformers.

According to RWCLM spokesperson Phillip Montshiwa, the failures were caused by ageing infrastructure, vandalism, cable theft and poor network conditions.

In a previously published statement, RWCLM said repairs had been delayed due to a shortage of stock from suppliers. The municipality further explained that much of its electricity infrastructure is outdated and that newer 11kV transformers are more readily available.

FF Plus disputes municipality’s explanation

However, the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) said it is dissatisfied with the municipality’s explanation. Fred Steffers, caucus leader for the party, described the response as misleading and said the party conducted its own enquiries with three suppliers.

According to Steffers, suppliers indicated that transformers do not always need to be replaced entirely and can often be repaired within three to four weeks. The suppliers also reportedly confirmed that although 6.6kV transformers are less common than 11kV units, they are still available.

Suppliers also highlighted the existence of dual-system transformers, which can reportedly be converted from 6.6kV to 11kV with minimal adjustments.

Steffers argued that the municipality’s response reflects poor service delivery and raises concerns about its commitment to residents. The party questioned whether the delays were due to a lack of political will to provide essential services or whether the municipality was facing financial difficulties as the current financial year approaches its end in June.

Residents share frustration over repeated outages

Residents affected by the outages said the interruptions have become a weekly occurrence in some communities.

Nthabiseng Mayafi from Mohlakeng said, “In my area, we have continuous outages every week, and unfortunately, everyone blames the ward councillor, but we all know it’s the municipality’s fault. The only thing we want as residents is a steady supply of electricity, which is not currently happening.”

Johan Wessels from Randgate shared similar frustrations.

“We pay our rates and taxes, but this municipality does nothing for us. It’s not only electricity that’s a problem in Randfontein. If you walk outside and see the condition of the roads, you’d be horrified,” Wessels said.

Residents continue to face disruptions to daily life, including difficulties preparing food, accessing water and dealing with damage to electrical appliances caused by repeated outages and power fluctuations.

Also read: Planned power outage to affect multiple areas next Tuesday

Municipality cites infrastructure and compliance challenges

The municipality has since responded to the allegations raised by the party.

Montshiwa said the municipality has lost 13 pole-mounted transformers across the municipal area since January due to severe lightning storms, overloading, vandalism and cable theft.

“These incidents have placed extraordinary pressure on the municipality’s available strategic stock and operational resources,” Montshiwa said.

He explained that the municipality normally keeps about five dual-ratio pole-mounted transformers in emergency stock for unforeseen breakdowns. However, due to the unusually high number of failures within a short period, the last available transformer in municipal stock was recently used in Mohlakeng.

Montshiwa further stated that most of the RWCLM electricity distribution network operates on a 6.6kV system, while areas such as Mohlakeng operate on an 11kV system.

“This technical distinction is extremely important, as 11kV transformers cannot simply be installed on a 6.6kV network without ensuring full compatibility with the existing infrastructure and protection systems,” he explained.

According to Montshiwa, all appointed service providers on the approved supplier database were contacted, but none had immediate stock of the required 6.6kV transformers available at the time of the failures.

Although dual-system transformers exist, the municipality said these units are not always immediately available and still require technical verification, procurement compliance and budget approval before installation can proceed.

The municipality also noted that repairs are not always practical, particularly where transformers suffered severe internal damage due to lightning, overload conditions or vandalism.

He added that repair turnaround times vary depending on the extent of the damage and the availability of replacement components.

Montshiwa said the municipality remains bound by the Municipal Finance Management Act and prescribed supply chain management processes, which cannot legally be bypassed, even during emergencies.

The municipality further acknowledged that the electricity infrastructure is ageing and requires significant upgrades and capital investment. It added that climate change, severe weather conditions, vandalism, theft and increasing strain on the electricity network continue to place pressure on municipal resources.

Despite these challenges, the municipality said its electricity department continues to work around the clock to restore affected areas as quickly as possible.

RWCLM also appealed to residents to help protect municipal infrastructure by reporting vandalism, cable theft and suspicious activity to the police or local ward councillors.

“The municipality sincerely apologises for the inconvenience experienced by affected residents and assures the community that every effort is being made to stabilise and improve the electricity network under extremely challenging conditions,” Montshiwa said.

The matter is expected to be raised again at the next council meeting, where the FF Plus plans to seek further clarity regarding the municipality’s financial position and its ability to continue meeting service delivery obligations.