Communities across the northern parts of Pretoria have been thrust into days of uncertainty, frustration, and growing anger as storm-related power outages continue with little to no clear communication from the Tshwane metro.

Ward councillors from wards 98, 50, 87 and 2 have raised serious concerns about the slow response and lack of feedback from the metro, leaving thousands of residents battling prolonged blackouts since the weekend.

Ward 98 councillor Mickey van der Westhuizen described the situation as chaotic, saying power has been on and off for the past three days, with no clear explanation for the delays in restoring electricity.

He said residents in the area have expressed growing anxiety as food spoils, security systems fail, and households are forced to navigate the darkness.

According to the councillor, the most challenging part has been the complete absence of communication from the metro.

Ward 50 appears to be the hardest hit, with councillor Lenise Breytenbach confirming widespread and severe infrastructure damage.

She expressed deep concern over the slow pace of the metro’s intervention, explaining that many residents have been without power since Sunday.

“Some residents [are] still off since Sunday. It’s chaos, and we are trying our best to get residents’ power back.”

Ward 87 Freddie Pienaar said other than the prolonged outages, no injuries or fatalities have been reported due to the storm.

“Trees have fallen onto power lines, poles have been damaged, and in some streets, storm debris remains scattered,” he said.

In Ward 2, the situation has also been unsettling, as some houses are still without power, with trees that have fallen over.

The Tshwane Mayor, Dr Nasiphi Moya, has called on residents to report damage caused by ongoing severe weather conditions.

“We have formed a co-ordinated response to the severe weather, which includes the dispatching of our Emergency Services Department, Regional Operations Coordination Department (ROC) and Water and Sanitation Department.

“Extreme weather conditions were first reported in the metro on Sunday night, the suburbs of Pretoria North being most affected. Hail damage and debris were reported in Montana, Wonderboom, Doornpoort and Sinoville,” said Moya.

Moya said the TMPD, Emergency Services Department and ROC responded to clear large hail from the roads, while TMPD managed the impact of midweek traffic.

“A situational report compiled by the metro details that over 100 incidents were reported that required immediate intervention.

“Energy and Electricity Department will continue to respond to power outages. The majority of the damage reported thus far was of fallen trees that had blocked properties and public roads in multiple areas, including the Pretoria CBD, Pretoria West, Pretoria North and Pretoria east.”

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