As winter bites, planned power cuts leave residents in the cold, literally

Joburg’s winter has officially taken a sharp turn, and just as families dig out their heaters and electric blankets, City Power is pulling the plug, literally. As a strong cold front approaches Gauteng this week, residents across multiple suburbs are being hit with planned 8-hour power outages. And it couldn’t come at a worse time.

According to the South African Weather Service, daytime temperatures are expected to drop to between 10°C and 15°C starting Friday. But with City Power overwhelmed by thousands of fault reports and scheduled maintenance across the metro, it’s going to be a frosty few days for many.

A City Under Pressure: 2,968 Faults and Counting

If you’ve struggled to log a call with City Power lately, you’re not alone. As of Wednesday morning, the utility reported nearly 3,000 unresolved calls across its Service Delivery Centres. It’s not just a paperwork pile-up, these are real people sitting without electricity.

Let’s break it down:

• Inner City: 856 open calls, 557 in the last 24 hours

• Alexandra: 541 open calls

• Reuven: 387 open calls

• Lenasia: 168 calls logged, mostly in the last day

• Hursthill: 435 open issues

• Roodepoort: 365 open cases

• Randburg: 131 open calls

• Midrand: 85 active issues

And adding to the chaos, 33 City Power plants are currently offline. With the cold setting in and infrastructure under strain, the city is in for a rough ride.

Where the Lights Are Going Out This Week

Thursday, 26 June (8am–4pm)
Planned maintenance will cut off power in:

• Mulbarton

• Glenvista

• Bassonia

• Glenanda

• Aspen Hills

• Mayfair West

• Amalgam North

• Crown No. 1

• Richmond/Vrededorp

• Brixton Homestead Park

• SABC 1–5

Friday, 27 June (8am–4pm)
Expect outages in:

• Belwin

• Panorama

• Liefde en Vrede South

Looking Ahead: July 2025 Maintenance

• 3 July: Noordhang (via Houtkoppen Substation)

• 10 July: Doornkop, Doornkop Police, Doornkop Military, SANTA, and BP Garage

Public Reaction: “It’s Like Surviving in a Fridge”

On X (formerly Twitter), #JoburgBlackout and #CityPowerFail were trending by Wednesday afternoon.

One user wrote:

“No power, no heater, and no hot coffee. How are we supposed to survive 10°C mornings like this?!”

Another tweeted:

“Eight hours without power during a cold front is wild. Are we being set up for pneumonia?”

Residents are not only frustrated but also confused about how to prepare when maintenance doesn’t always follow the schedule. Some areas have seen delayed restorations, while others unexpectedly regained power early—making planning nearly impossible.

How to Stay Safe and Sane During Outages

City Power is urging residents to treat all power points as live, even during outages. The official warning: “Supply may be restored at any time.” That means your kettle might suddenly turn back on while you’re fixing something, so caution is key.

Tips for surviving the 8-hour cuts:

• Charge your devices fully the night before

• Keep a backup torch or lantern handy

• Stock up on ready-to-eat meals and bottled water

• Dress in warm layers, and consider hot water bottles for kids or elders

The Bigger Picture: Joburg’s Infrastructure Is Cracking

This latest round of outages is not just maintenance, it’s a symptom. Johannesburg’s ageing power infrastructure, coupled with high winter demand, is under enormous strain. And with only limited backup capacity, even minor faults balloon into major outages across suburbs.

It’s also worth remembering that the city’s power cuts aren’t isolated events. They follow months of mounting tension between City Power and Eskom, load-shedding challenges, and a growing backlog in service calls.

Lights Out, Tempers Up

Johannesburg is no stranger to power outages, but this round cuts deeper, right into the coldest part of the year. And while maintenance is necessary, the lack of consistent communication and the scale of open calls point to deeper systemic issues.

As residents brace for the cold and dark, the hope remains that City Power can catch up with the chaos—before the next cold front arrives.

{Source: The Citizen}

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