Residents in Amandasig and Karenpark in the north of Pretoria are demanding answers and urgent action following a prolonged power outage that has left parts of the communities without electricity since Friday.
The Tshwane Metro initially reported that the outage followed an explosion involving medium-voltage equipment at Amandasig Substation and T3 Brits/Heinrich.
Preliminary assessments found that two medium-voltage switchgear units required replacement, while technicians also began repairs on the affected network.
In a subsequent update, the metro said electricity had been restored to most customers in Karenpark and Amandasig, but 15 mini-substations remained without power due to multiple faults in an underground medium-voltage cable.
According to the metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo, technicians had located the faults, made the cable safe and issued a work permit, with repair teams working on the faulty cable between T3 Brits/Heinrich and MS Kamferfoelie/Orgidee.
However, a progress report from the Rosslyn Electricity Depot on August 25 showed that the Amandasig and Karenpark faults remained unresolved, with two faulty mini-substations still requiring replacement.
The prolonged outage has caused growing frustration among residents, who have raised concerns about food spoiling, security and the disruption of their daily lives.
https://x.com/CityTshwane/status/2091856981623509188?s=20
Electricity Outage Update: 15 Mini-Substations still affected. pic.twitter.com/anSPJxRAmj
— City of Tshwane (@CityTshwane) August 24, 2026
Ward 96 councillor Mickey van der Westhuizen said residents and councillors had spent the weekend following up on the situation, escalating concerns and trying to obtain information from the metro.
He said the biggest setback occurred on August 22, when a heavy machinery operator, while excavating to replace a cable connection, accidentally damaged a live electrical cable.
According to Van der Westhuizen, the incident caused a major spike through the line, damaging multiple cables and other unprotected infrastructure.
“The workers on the ground are not the problem,” Van der Westhuizen said, arguing that the broader issue was mismanagement within the administration and a lack of adequate support, resources and systems.
He also praised electricity department officials for their efforts on the ground and their continued communication with residents.
Resident Shireze de Lange also expressed frustration over the outage but praised Van der Westhuizen and Ward 4 candidate Raymond Ditsi for their efforts to keep residents informed.
De Lange said the two had remained on the ground while residents waited for the metro to restore electricity.
https://x.com/CityTshwane/status/2092095043850957167?s=20
#PowerOutage:
132kV transformer R tripped at Orchards substation.Affected consumers:
Salieshook area, parts of Orchards and Wonderpark. Team is currently on the way to attend.— City of Tshwane (@CityTshwane) August 25, 2026
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