By Everson Luhanga
- Community leaders pledged to educate residents on peaceful protests and address power supply issues through meetings and awareness campaigns.
- City Power resumed services in Alexandra after violent protests injured workers and forced a temporary suspension.
City Power workers are back in Alexandra after violent protests forced the power utility to suspend services earlier this week.
On Tuesday, angry residents stormed City Power’s Kew depot, attacking workers and breaking into the Service Delivery Centre (SDC).
One technician’s leg was broken, and other staff members were injured. Protesters also damaged councillors’ offices on 8th Avenue and assaulted people inside.
Following the attacks, City Power withdrew all staff from Alexandra, citing concerns for their personal safety leaving the township without repair services
On Thursday, the power utility resumed operations after a long meeting with community leaders and councillors.
City Power spokesperson Isaak Mangena said the suspension was necessary to protect employees after the attacks.
“The recent unrest has not only affected our operations but has also had a significant impact on other community services, including damage to vehicles, the closure of clinics, and disruptions to traffic.”
“As we move forward, it is crucial that we work together to ensure all residents understand the seriousness of these issues and their actions. We strongly condemn the attacks on our staff and threats directed towards the councillors, who play a vital role in facilitating communication between City Power and the community that elected them,” he said.
City Power was encouraged by the support from councillors and community leaders, who have promised to help educate residents about the importance of peaceful protests.
“We wish to reiterate that such actions hinder our ability to provide essential services to the majority and exacerbate existing issues,” he said.
To improve relations with residents, City Power plans to boost engagement with stakeholders, especially in areas that experience frequent outages.
It will also launch educational campaigns to explain power supply challenges.
Councillors, led by Chair of Chairs in the City of Johannesburg Adolf Marema and ward councillor Sanni Mavhona, will hold a meeting on Friday with residents affected by power cuts.
They will discuss the challenges, customer responsibilities, and a metering project aimed at reducing unpaid electricity use.
Pictured above: Violent protests that rocked Alex the past few days.
Image source: Everson Luhanga
