While the municipality continues its efforts to restore essential services, severe weather conditions are still disrupting power supply and affecting residents across Centurion.

Residents in large parts of the area have been without electricity since November 30, leaving many homes with low voltage or no power at all. This has raised concerns about spoilt food and potential damage to appliances.

According to the metro’s updates, crews are still being dispatched to attend to both medium-voltage and single-outage issues, but progress has been slowed by fallen trees, strong winds, and other storm-related hazards.

Ward 70 Councillor Marika Kruger-Muller explained that outages in Raslouw and Eldoraigne Ext 67 began on Monday around 16:30.

“Some areas were restored, but others still have no power or are experiencing low voltage,” said Kruger-Muller.

She noted that although municipal electrical workers attended to the area on Wednesday, isolating a line for repairs caused additional outages.

“A separate outage on Deltoidia Avenue, which was unrelated to the broader issue, was resolved this morning [Thursday], restoring power there.”

Despite these efforts, she said areas along Baard Road remain without electricity, and Erasmus Avenue is still experiencing low voltage.

Kruger-Muller criticised the metro’s communication, saying, “They do provide feedback, but their updates don’t explain what caused the outages or when they will be repaired.”

She recalled that when the Zwartkop substation caught fire earlier this year, sufficient information was provided to councillors, allowing her to give residents proper feedback to help them prepare.

“My main problem is that when councillors ask for updates, we often get generic responses. This week, we’re not getting specific information,” she added.

Kruger-Muller emphasised that there is currently no estimated time for restoration and that single outages, unlike block or area outages, are not being prioritised.

PR Councillor Wesley Jacobs attributed most of the Lyttelton outages to severe weather, particularly falling trees over power lines, and empathised with frustrated residents.

“I understand that residents are frustrated, and I empathise with them; however, we also have to understand that teams cannot work on repairs when it’s raining,” he said.

Jacobs explained that the city is prioritising area outages because they affect more residents, but block and single outages are also being addressed.

“To get more people on the ground, the metro has halted other electrical work being done so that more teams can focus on addressing outages across the city,” he added.

He also highlighted some of the outstanding outages in Lyttelton, including Selborne Avenue, Clifton Avenue, and Cantonments Road, and praised community members who have assisted in removing fallen trees alongside the metro’s urban forestry teams.

In Ward 66, Councillor Ina Strijdom confirmed that fallen trees and branches on power lines are the main cause of outages in her area, with some residents having been without power since Sunday.

She expressed frustration that single outages are not being prioritised and described the difficulties this creates for councillors in relaying information.

“It’s extremely frustrating that many of the single outages are also not being prioritised. Now residents believe that I am not escalating these issues, but I am, and it puts me in a very difficult position,” she said.

Strijdom highlighted the impact on daily life, including spoilt food, and apologised to residents for the delays. She explained that there is only so much she can do while ensuring issues are escalated to the municipality.

Ward 69 Councillor Cindy Billson provided further details about the technical causes of outages.

She said in Eldoraigne, power is out on Piet Hugo Street and Kort Street due to a snapped cable, while another outage on Colleen Street stems from infrastructure damage related to the Eldoraigne water pipeline replacement project, with a cable damaged on Sunday.

In Ward 57, repeated cable theft has affected areas including Rabie Street and the Engen garage, contributing to ongoing service disruptions.

Tshwane Mayor, Dr Nasiphi Moya, said the city is responding swiftly to flood incidents, power outages, and damage caused by severe weather conditions.

She explained that a co-ordinated response involves the Emergency Services Department, the Regional Operations Coordination Department, and the Water and Sanitation Department.

“The Energy and Electricity Department is also continuing to respond to power outages across the city.

“The majority of the reported damage involves fallen trees blocking properties and public roads in several areas, including Pretoria CBD, Pretoria West, Pretoria North, and Pretoria east.”

The city shared a progress report on its Region 4 WhatsApp channel, indicating that crews are still addressing multiple outages.

Medium-voltage issues include faults in Itireleng and Irene caused by a main breaker fault and snapped overhead lines in Valhalla and Lyttelton.

Block outages persist in Irene, Valhalla, Lyttelton, and Doringkloof, with teams dispatched but repairs not yet completed.

Single outages remain a major challenge, with 75 reported – only 12 resolved and 63 still outstanding.

The metro said planned maintenance in Twin Rivers and Gem Village is also pending, with the next progress report scheduled for 16:00.

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