Mapaballo Borotho
- More than 2,700 power outages were reported in Johannesburg after severe thunderstorms hit the city.
- City Power says wet and hazardous conditions are slowing down restoration efforts as technicians struggle to access waterlogged and blocked areas.
- Roodepoort and Reuven are the worst affected, with a combined total of over 1,300 open calls.
More than 2,700 power outages were recorded in Johannesburg following Sunday’s severe weather across the city.
This has placed City Power’s operations under significant strain, leaving many residents without electricity.
The severe weather conditions not only left Joburgers in the dark, but also saw Pretoria residents grappling with heavy hail that damaged infrastructure and uprooted trees.
“The storms also resulted in a lightning strike at the Northcliff Water Tower last night, which affected supply and interrupted operations. A team has been dispatched urgently to attend to the query,” said City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena.
Mangena added that the wet conditions have worsened outages and are hampering restoration efforts, as technical teams battle to access waterlogged areas.
“The prolonged rainfall continues to affect our ability to respond timeously to faults and maintain a stable electricity supply as technicians navigate hazardous terrain, limited access routes, and unsafe working environments.
There are several roads that the Johannesburg Roads Agency has closed for safety after low-lying bridges flooded, and we also have fallen trees blocking roads in various parts of the city,” he said.
City Power technicians must wait for certain routes to be cleared before accessing affected areas.
Roodepoort remains the most affected region, with 906 open calls. Reuven has 402 open calls, with most linked to outages affecting Mulbarton, Glenvista, and Soccer City.
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