City Power has issued a warning that Johannesburg’s power system is currently under severe strain, urging residents to reduce electricity usage to help prevent further overloads across the network. The notice comes as large parts of Roodepoort and surrounding suburbs face ongoing outages caused by storm damage, equipment failures and vandalism.
According to the utility, inclement weather conditions are slowing down repair work. City Power says restorations may take longer than usual due to safety concerns and limited access to damaged areas. The Roodepoort Service Delivery Centre is currently dealing with 906 open calls, including more than 200 that have remained unresolved for over 24 hours.
Major Faults Affecting Multiple Suburbs
One of the hardest-hit areas is the Christiaan De Wet Substation and JG Strydom Switching Station, which supply Weltevredenpark, Strubensvalley, Honeydew and nearby communities. Although power was restored late last night, the area suffered another failure in the early hours of the morning. Technicians are expected to conduct tests throughout the day before full details are released.
In Radiokop, teams have been deployed to investigate an unplanned outage, with updates expected once assessments are completed.
The Tshepisong Switching Station is also experiencing line faults on both Line A and Line B. City Power says further information will be communicated after field teams complete their inspections.
Cable Faults, Vandalism and Equipment Damage
Several additional areas are also without electricity due to serious infrastructure damage.
At the Ontdekkers Switching Station in Horison, a cable fault has been identified. Materials are being sourced, and repair work will begin once all equipment is on site.
A vandalised mini substation at the Fleurhof Substation has left communities in Fleurhof Extension 5 and JoshCo Flats in the dark. The fins have been cut off and the transformer oil drained, leaving the unit irreparable. City Power confirms that there is currently no replacement mini substation or generator available for temporary supply.
In Delarey, a generator is providing temporary power following another mini substation failure, while in Lufhereng a transformer explosion has damaged the mini substation. Replacement equipment is needed before restoration can proceed.
Florida is also affected, with the Alexandra Switching Station awaiting a replacement mini substation.
Planned Maintenance to Continue Despite Outages
City Power has confirmed that several planned maintenance operations will still go ahead this week. Affected areas include:
Granville Switching Station in Robertville and Lea Glen, where power will be off today between 08h00 and 16h00
Mechanical Workshop Switching Station in Creswell Park, also scheduled for interruption today from 08h00 to 16h00
Canary Switching Station in Horison Park and Horison View, scheduled for Tuesday 2 December from 08h00 to 16h00
Elkie Drive Switching Station in Wilropark, planned for Wednesday 3 December from 08h00 to 16h00
City Power says it will continue to provide updates throughout the day as technicians assess damage and restore supply where possible.