Little respite for Soshanguve residents
The same team that did the work in Block DD have been assigned to Block BB.
To manage the ongoing power outages in Soshanguve, the Tshwane metro has successfully energised the newly installed cables in Block DD on May 7.
The project is guaranteed to lessen the constant outages in the area. In recent weeks, residents have experienced high levels of frustration with the lack of power.
Tshwane strives to mitigate power trips in parts of Soshanguve. pic.twitter.com/YzGpTkliZT
— City of Tshwane (@CityTshwane) May 8, 2025
According to Tshwane metro, the Block BB replacement project has commenced and is expected to be completed by mid-June.
“The same team that implemented electricity cabling at Block DD is assigned to Block BB for the execution of the replacement project,” said metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo.
However, with the work in progress, Mashigo said Tshwane is currently experiencing high electricity demand in most of its seven regions, with Soshanguve being one of the highest consuming areas.
“The high, rising demand for electricity in Soshanguve has put pressure on the network grid, impinging on areas such as Blocks BB and DD. Prompting the Energy and Electricity Department (EED) as well as Region 1-based maintenance teams to work laboriously to solve outages,” he said.
He said the causal factor for the outages in Blocks BB and DD can, in part, be attributed to multiple faults that have since increased as the country transitions from summer to a wintry season, resulting in frequent power trips.
“Meanwhile, the city’s W and X substations are also being negatively impacted by the network overload and power trips, a situation that seems to be worsening this season.
“This concerning development is caused by high electricity demand, illegal connections, as well as theft and vandalism,” Mashigo explained.
He said to help stabilise the grid and minimise power trips, the city is at an advanced planning stage of a project to replace the outdated switchgear and circuit breakers at W Substation, which services consumers in the precinct of Blocks W and X.
In addition, Mashigo emphasised that plans are in place to help replace the three main feeder cables at the JJ Substation, which are consistently failing due to water ingress following the recent heavy rainfalls.
“The city remains committed to addressing the above-mentioned challenges to ensure a safe and reliable power supply to the frequently affected areas.
“To support this commitment, the regional maintenance and repairs team will continue to attend to outages, despite being hard-pressed during this high-demand cold weather period,” he said.
Mashigo said Tshwane urged all residents across its seven regions to be responsible with the use of electricity to avoid power blackouts or possibly the collapse of the network grid.
Residents in Soshanguve breathed a sigh of relief as they emphasised how the ongoing power outages have affected them.
“The outages have affected us financially more than anything; our food goes off as a result of the power cuts for more than 18 hours at a time,” said Keagile Mathobela.
She said the ongoing outages also pose a threat to them as residents.
“This increases fear in us because you never know if someone may assault or rob you in the dark.”
Mathobela said slight improvements have been made since the repair of block DD cables.
“There have been a few consecutive days where we have had electricity, and I hope that it continues,” she said.
Another local, Siphesihle Masina, expressed the same sentiments.
“The issue of electricity has affected us negatively in the past months. We have lost many of our electrical appliances,” said Masina.
She highlighted the struggles they face as students during power outages.
“Our studies have been affected. Sometimes we study in the dark, and we go to school after a cold shower,” she said.
LISTEN:
ALSO READ: Three more arrested in Pretoria journalist and partner murders after community tip-off
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
