By Everson Luhanga
- Roodepoort has 906 outage calls as flooded roads, fallen trees and waterlogged trenches stop City Power teams from reaching damaged sites.
- The Inner City has 309 calls after the Observatory and Orchards substations go down, cutting power to Cheltondale, Linksfield and Orange Grove.
Thousands of people across Johannesburg start the day in the dark after heavy rain, lightning and flooding hammer the city through the night.
City Power’s network is under severe strain as outage calls climb past 2,700 and keep rising.
Homes and businesses from Roodepoort to Alexandra are hit as the storms batter power lines, damage substations and block repair teams from reaching sites.
Many residents wake up confused and frustrated, unsure when the lights will come back on.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena says the storm has made repair work slow and dangerous. “The prolonged rainfall continues to affect our ability to respond timeously to faults and maintain a stable electricity supply,” he says.
A lightning strike at the Northcliff water tower adds to the chaos and teams are sent out to check the damage.
But much of the city is still waterlogged, making it almost impossible for technicians to move safely.
Mangena says teams cannot work where bridges are flooded, roads are blocked by fallen trees or the ground is too unstable.
Some streets are closed by the Johannesburg Roads Agency and crews must wait for debris to be cleared before they can enter.
Underground cables take a beating too as water seeps into trenches.
Fault-finding is almost impossible in deep water and no equipment can run safely under those conditions.
An internal report shows Roodepoort is the worst hit with 906 open calls.
Reuven has 402 linked to areas including Mulbarton, Glenvista and Soccer City.
The Inner City has 309 after two substations fail.
Hursthill has 317 linked to the Northcliff strike.
Randburg has 288 across Fontainebleau, Bryanston and Malanshof.
Lenasia has 253 affecting Eldorado Park, Welkom Towers and Lawley.
Alexandra has 209 from cable faults around Highlands North and Lombardy East.
Midrand has 99 linked to problems at Allandale and Klipfontein View.
Mangena says more teams are out to help the worst-hit areas but safety comes first.
Workers cannot operate near exposed live equipment or unstable ground.
City Power urges residents to stay away from damaged infrastructure and to unplug appliances because power may return without warning.
People who still have electricity are asked to use it sparingly.
Mangena apologises for the outages and thanks customers for their patience while the city fights to restore supply.
He asks residents to log faults on citypower.mobi or call 011 490 7484.
Pictured above: City Power.
Image source: File
