Inside Joburg’s power crackdown: Residents caught in City Power’s war on hijacked buildings

On a busy morning in central Johannesburg, the familiar buzz of the city was interrupted by something less ordinary, teams of technicians climbing stairwells, opening electrical panels and cutting power lines.

For residents living in some of the city centre’s most troubled buildings, the message from the municipality was clear: the era of illegal electricity connections is being challenged head-on.

The latest operations by City Power Johannesburg, the electricity utility owned by the City of Johannesburg, have sparked both relief and anger as authorities target what they describe as “hijacked” or non-compliant buildings across the inner city.

Power cut-offs spread across the inner city

This week, City Power’s Revenue Protection Unit widened its enforcement drive into Braamfontein and Berea, focusing particularly on two apartment blocks Woodridge and Eaglewhite flats.

According to utility officials, repeated reports of illegal electrical connections triggered the intervention.

Manoko Moya, speaking on behalf of the power utility, said the disconnections were necessary to protect both residents and the city’s electrical infrastructure.

He explained that unsafe wiring and illegal connections not only damage the grid but also pose serious fire risks in densely populated buildings.

City Power says the goal is not simply punishment but compliance. Residents are being urged to make proper payment arrangements and regularise electricity usage where possible.

Tenants say they are paying, but still sitting in the dark

Inside Eaglewhite flats, the situation looks very different from the ground.

A community representative who asked not to be named says many residents feel unfairly caught in a dispute between the city and building owners.

“We are tenants here, not the owners,” the local leader said. “They ask us to show ownership papers, but we don’t have those. All we have are receipts to prove we pay rent.”

For many inner-city tenants, this is a familiar dilemma. In buildings believed to be hijacked or poorly managed, residents often pay rent to landlords or intermediaries but have little control over whether municipal bills are actually settled.

That disconnect is now leaving families without electricity.

City Power says theft and tampering are widespread

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena defended the aggressive approach, saying the buildings targeted during the operation are widely known as “bad buildings”.

These properties, he said, are plagued by illegal electricity reconnections, bypassed meters and outright power theft.

According to Mangena, such activities place a heavy burden on the network while draining municipal revenue needed to maintain infrastructure.

“Unlawful reconnections and electricity theft continue to undermine the system and put communities at risk,” he said.

Officials insist that cutting power is often the only way to stop dangerous and illegal connections from being restored repeatedly.

The Randburg case that raised alarm bells

The crackdown is not limited to the inner city.

Earlier this week, City Power teams disconnected electricity at the Oasis on Pine complex in Randburg.

The 50-unit building was found to be overloading the local network and failing to meet safety regulations following a detailed audit.

The investigation began after residents in the area reported almost daily power outages.

According to John Mabena, manager for Unplanned Power Outages at the Randburg Service Delivery Centre, technicians repeatedly discovered burnt cables during inspections.

Those damaged cables, he said, were a strong sign that the system was being overloaded.

Why hijacked buildings are a growing Joburg crisis

Johannesburg’s inner city has battled the problem of hijacked buildings for decades.

These properties are often abandoned by owners and taken over by criminal syndicates or informal landlords. Tenants may still pay rent, sometimes substantial amounts, but basic services like electricity, water and sanitation frequently fall outside official systems.

Over time, this creates a dangerous mix of overcrowding, faulty wiring and illegal utility connections.

Urban researchers say the issue reflects deeper problems in the city’s housing market, where demand for affordable accommodation in the CBD far exceeds supply.

Social media reactions: divided opinions

The latest cut-offs have sparked heated debate online.

Some residents support the crackdown, arguing that electricity theft drives up costs and worsens outages for everyone.

Others say the city should focus on building owners and criminal landlords instead of punishing tenants.

On local community forums, one user wrote: “Illegal connections damage infrastructure. If the city doesn’t act, the whole grid collapses.”

Another commenter responded: “But families with kids are the ones sitting in the dark tonight.”

The debate reflects a wider frustration in Johannesburg, where power shortages, aging infrastructure and municipal debt have become everyday concerns.

A tough balancing act for the city

For City Power, the operation is part of a broader effort to stabilise the electricity network while recovering lost revenue.

But on the ground, the reality is complicated.

Every cut cable tells two stories at once: one about protecting infrastructure, and another about residents struggling inside buildings where ownership, accountability and basic services are anything but clear.

And in Johannesburg’s dense, restless inner city, those two stories rarely line up neatly.