For several weeks now, residents on 4th Road in Kew have been requesting assistance with an ongoing electricity supply problem affecting their area.

Ward 81 councillor Joanne Horwitz requested that we meet and discuss the situation.

She explained that following her escalation of the matter, City Power attended to a pole-mounted transformer that appeared to be the source of the outage.

Read more: Have your say: City Power increases electricity tariffs

“After City Power indicated that the matter had been resolved, residents reported that electricity had not been fully restored because not all three phases of supply from the transformer were transmitting. As a result, some households had functioning lights but no power to plugs, while others experienced the opposite situation.”

Horwitz pointed out that residents subsequently logged additional service requests, and City Power has returned to the site time and again.

“Unfortunately, City Power technicians have been closing service tickets despite the problem remaining. As a result, residents have had to repeatedly re-log and escalate this fault to me. Throughout this period, I have, in turn, escalated each new ticket and continuously engaged with City Power officials telephonically, via WhatsApp messages, and in person in an effort to secure a lasting resolution.”

She said that on May 31, she conducted a site visit and spoke directly with a number of affected residents. There has been some improvement, as one side of the road reportedly received full restoration of both lights and plug circuits.

“However, residents on the opposite side of the road continue to experience unresolved electricity supply issues. I remain actively engaged with City Power and continue to facilitate a continuous exchange of information between affected residents and City Power in the hope that it will assist in identifying and resolving the underlying fault.”

Also read: City rejects Eskoms proposed electricity hike

Horwitz elaborated that the ongoing difficulties raise broader concerns about the capacity challenges facing City Power.

“Faults appear to be taking longer to diagnose and resolve satisfactorily, and visits are often required before a problem is properly addressed. While it would be unfair to speculate on the precise causes of this particular fault, it is clear that City Power continues to operate under significant strain.”

She highlighted that the challenges must be viewed against the backdrop of years of underinvestment in infrastructure maintenance and the reality that the city is approaching the end of its financial year, when budgetary pressures are often most acute.

“The consequences are increasingly being felt by law-abiding residents who simply and legitimately expect reliable basic services. I will continue to monitor this matter closely and engage with City Power until a full and satisfactory resolution is achieved for every affected resident on 4th Road, Kew.”

City Power was approached for detailed comment on June 2, a deadline of 09:00 on June 5 has been set. This article will be updated when the entity provides their detailed response.

Follow us on our WhatsApp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!