A dispute between City Power and a Lombardy East resident over the source of reported electrical shocks continues, despite the utility maintaining that the fault on its network was permanently repaired earlier this month.

The Sandton Chronicle first received complaints from residents in Tennyson Road after electricity was restored following a prolonged outage caused by vandalism of electrical infrastructure in May. Residents alleged that after power was restored, several households began receiving electric shocks from taps, showers, metal appliances and outdoor areas.

Keith Struwig, one of the affected residents, said he spent weeks reporting the fault, claiming multiple reports were closed before the problem was resolved. He alleged that City Power technicians repeatedly focused on whether electricity supply had been restored rather than investigating the source of the electrical shocks.

Struwig further claimed he had to demonstrate the presence of voltage himself by inserting a test probe into his lawn. According to Struwig, measurements at his property ranged from 80V to 90V, which he believes posed a serious safety risk. He also disputed City Power’s statement that technicians measured only about 30V at his property.

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While Struwig acknowledged that the damaged underground cable was eventually repaired, he believes another fault may also have existed, as the recording continued to show elevated voltage after the repair before it later dropped to what he considered normal levels. He said he has no proof of a second fault and described this as his opinion based on his electrical experience.

Despite City Power previously informing the Sandton Chronicle that the underground cable fault had been permanently resolved on July 19 and that post-repair testing confirmed zero voltage leakage, Struwig said he is still concerned about the safety of his property.

Following City Power’s initial response, the Sandton Chronicle contacted the resident again before publication. Struwig maintained that the issue had not been resolved and logged a new fault with City Power.
In response to a follow-up media enquiry, City Power confirmed it attended the property again on July 28. City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the utility stands by its position that the fault on its network was repaired on July 19.

Mangena said that while technicians were on site, the resident repeatedly interfered with the repair and testing process by disputing readings taken by City Power’s equipment and relying on measurements from his own testing device.

According to Mangena, technicians also requested permission to bond the neutral and earth as part of their standard diagnostic process to determine whether the fault originated on the customer’s electrical installation. He said the resident refused permission, preventing City Power from completing a full assessment.

“This raises the possibility that the reported issue may originate on the customer’s side of the supply, although City Power has not been permitted to verify this,” said Mangena. City Power further stated that customers should not operate testing equipment on or around its electrical infrastructure because doing so is unsafe and prohibited.

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Regarding the latest complaint, Mangena confirmed that a technician was assigned to the new fault on July 28. However, he said technicians were again unable to complete further investigations because the resident did not allow the required diagnostic procedures.

City Power said it remains willing to return to the property to complete its investigation if technicians are granted access and cooperation.

After receiving City Power’s latest response, we approached Struwig on July 29 for comment on the utility’s claims that he had refused permission for technicians to complete diagnostic testing.

Struwig disputed City Power’s allegations, saying he had been asking the utility to determine whether the fault was on his property or on City Power’s network for the past nine weeks. “I’ve been telling them that for nine weeks, someone’s property or their network. Not one team stays long enough to diagnose properly,” he said.

Struwig further claimed that the northern part of Tennyson Road is experiencing another power outage and alleged that he was still recording 105V on his earth connection.

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