Mob storms City Power Lenasia depot after outage; four security guards injured

City Power’s Lenasia Service Delivery Centre (SDC) was attacked by a mob after a local power outage, leaving four security guards injured, the utility said. Two of the injured officers required hospital treatment after the assault, which also caused damage to the depot.

How the incident unfolded

City Power said tensions began after a power outage on Monday, June 29, that affected Murray Avenue in Lenasia Extension 10. The utility told residents its technicians could not immediately respond because they were dealing with an unusually high number of low-voltage faults across Johannesburg’s electricity network during the winter period.

Residents visited the Lenasia SDC on Tuesday morning to seek an explanation. According to City Power, a group of about 20 to 25 people returned to the depot later that day and launched a violent attack on security staff and the facility, destroying the security guard house and smashing windows.

Injuries and alleged vehicle assault

During the assault, City Power reported that four security officers were injured. In one of the most serious incidents, a suspect allegedly drove a vehicle into one of the guards, leaving the officer with serious injuries. Two of the injured required hospital treatment.

Police response and charges

The Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) arrested four suspects shortly after the incident. City Power said the arrested individuals are expected to face charges including attempted murder, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, public violence and malicious damage to property. Police are continuing to search for additional suspects believed to have participated in the attack.

City Power reaction and planned measures

City Power described the assault as “a disturbing escalation in attacks against personnel who play a critical role in safeguarding City Power facilities and supporting the safe delivery of essential electricity services to communities,” attributing the remark to its spokesperson Isaac Mangena.

The utility warned that attacks on employees and contractors undermine service delivery and said it would not tolerate violence. Mangena was quoted saying:

“Violence, intimidation and attacks on our employees, contractors and security personnel are criminal acts that cannot and will not be tolerated.”

City Power also said it reserves the right to suspend operations in areas where staff safety cannot be guaranteed. As Mangena put it:

“Where there is a credible threat to the safety of personnel, City Power reserves the right to suspend operations until it is safe for teams to resume work.”

Audits, penalties and customer measures

In the aftermath of the attack, City Power announced that all repair work in the affected area will be preceded by comprehensive electricity meter audits to determine the extent of illegal connections and compliance with electricity vending regulations.

The utility said customers found bypassing meters or connected illegally will face penalties under its approved tariff structure: illegal single-phase connections carry a penalty of R14,000, while three-phase illegal connections attract a charge of R28,000. City Power also indicated it may migrate some customers from prepaid to postpaid meters as part of broader network normalisation measures intended to improve revenue collection and reduce electricity losses.

Community engagement and appeal

City Power said it plans to meet community leaders and ward representatives to restore trust and create conditions that allow technical teams to work safely. The utility appealed to residents to use formal complaint channels rather than violence, with Mangena urging:

“We urge residents to reject violence and criminality and to use the established customer engagement channels to raise service delivery concerns.”

City Power confirmed that police are continuing to search for additional suspects and said it will work closely with the JMPD and other law enforcement agencies to hold those responsible to account.