City Power’s decision to change how it communicates power outages and service delivery issues has drawn criticism from ward councillors and residents, amid concerns that the move could weaken escalation during prolonged outages.

The revised approach was announced to customers on January 11, when the utility said it would manage outage updates and escalations through its own formal channels, rather than via ward councillors.

The announcement immediately raised questions about how residents would escalate unresolved outages and what role councillors would play under the new system.

Concerns were formally raised by the Panorama Residents Association, which represents Ward 89 and Ward 126. Deputy chairperson Michael Steyn said while the intention to improve communication was welcomed, the practical implications remained unclear.

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“Our ward councillors add significant value to residents, particularly when escalation is required,” Steyn said. “The current system of updates from City Power has often been ineffective, with limited feedback and long response delays.”

He also pointed to communication gaps during recent outages, saying residents typically expect updates at least every two hours, but official information is often delayed.

Tensions escalated on Tuesday, January 13, when ward councillors received a WhatsApp message from City Power stating that employees would be exiting the councillor WhatsApp groups previously used to assist with outage escalation. The utility said operational updates would instead be handled through formal communication channels.

Ward 89 councillor Zander Shawe said the move would restrict councillors’ ability to assist residents.

“This now shows that councillors will not have the access to depot staff they previously had in assisting residents with outages and escalations,” Shawe said.

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Following public debate, City Power issued a clarification on Thursday, January 15, confirming that it had not reversed its decision but had agreed to a temporary arrangement after engagements with councillors and city leadership.

Under the interim agreement, existing councillor WhatsApp groups will remain in place while City Power continues to develop and strengthen its direct customer communication and escalation systems.

City Power general manager for public relations and communications, Isaac Mangena, said the revised approach was an operational decision and not intended to undermine councillors.

“There is no intention to sideline councillors or diminish their constitutional oversight role,” Mangena said. “The aim is to improve the speed, accuracy and consistency of outage information, while maintaining collaboration.”