Blockaded roads, burning tyres and four arrests marked a second day of protests in East Lynne today (October 5) as residents demanded immediate action from the City of Tshwane after eight days without electricity.

Protesters blocked key routes near Baviaanspoort Road yesterday (October 4) and again this morning (October 5).

Ward 87 councillor Freddie Pienaar intervened to calm the situation and persuade residents to clear the roads so municipal repair teams could access the area.

Pienaar also urged community members to join local patrols to prevent cable theft during the prolonged outage.

Substation fire triggers widespread blackout

The power crisis began on Tuesday, September 29, when a fire broke out at the 132/11 kV Waltloo Substation.

The blaze left a transformer at the Njala Infeed Substation faulty, causing blackouts across multiple wards in the east of Tshwane.

Although power was restored to 90% of affected consumers by Sunday, October 4, East Lynne and Silverton remained in the dark.

Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said technical teams are working to restore power supplied by the Koedoespoort Substation, with efforts currently focused on two newly identified cable faults.

Repair teams locate cable faults

Progress has been made on the first fault, where workers located the damaged cable and finished excavation. The team is now gathering the necessary materials to perform repairs. At the second site, testing specialists are working to pinpoint the exact location of the damage before digging can begin.

Once both cable faults are repaired, the entire network will undergo testing for additional damage before electricity can safely be restored. Mashigo stated that a restoration time cannot be confirmed, as it depends on repair progress and test results.

Police monitor situation after public violence arrests

The Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) arrested four suspects for public violence during the demonstrations.

TMPD spokesperson Colonel Isaac Mahamba confirmed that officers are monitoring the area to maintain order.

Mahamba said the situation is currently calm, and officers will remain on site until normality returns. The four suspects are expected to appear in court later this week.

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