Three Days in the Dark: Pretoria North Residents Brace for Power Cuts as City Tests Substations

From Wolmer to Soshanguve, locals prepare for scheduled outages as Tshwane aims to fix what’s broken and prevent another blackout crisis

Pretoria North residents are gearing up for what many have dubbed “mini load shedding, Tshwane edition” as the City of Tshwane kicks off a three-day electricity maintenance project affecting at least 11 suburbs.

From June 17 to 19, technicians from the city’s Energy and Electricity Department will be conducting planned maintenance and efficiency audits on the Wolmer and K1 substations, cutting power in phases to thousands of homes.

Why now? Substations under the spotlight after vandalism chaos

This move comes on the heels of a serious vandalism incident at the Wolmer substation in Onderstepoort just weeks ago, which left entire neighbourhoods without electricity for days.

Residents at the time described the outage as “devastating,” especially for those relying on electrical appliances for health, work-from-home setups, and small businesses.

The city says the upcoming audits are part of a broader effort to prevent similar chaos by ensuring the substations are operating safely and efficiently, especially with winter energy demand peaking.

What to expect: When the lights go out, and where

The plan is clear, if inconvenient.

• On Tuesday and Wednesday, Wolmer Substation will be shut down from 9am to 1pm, affecting Wolmer, Ninapark, Theresapark, Eldorette, Clarina, Winternest, Hesteapark, Klerksoord, Heatherdale, parts of Dorandia, and the BVN 45 line.

• Then, on Thursday, attention shifts to the K1 Substation, affecting Soshanguve Blocks VV, WW, XX, and the BVN line 176, also from 9am to 1pm.

Municipal spokesperson Lindela Mashigo confirmed there would be no backfeed options for these substations, meaning total outages during testing hours.

Local reaction: “We get it, but we’re tired”

Community WhatsApp groups were abuzz by Monday night, with many residents acknowledging the need for long-overdue maintenance — while also expressing frustration.

“We understand they need to fix things, but it’s winter, we have children, and these blackouts keep happening,” said Anelda Mokoena, a Clarina resident. “At this point, it’s like we live in constant preparation for a disaster.”

On X (formerly Twitter), one user wrote:

“Tshwane needs to learn the concept of silent maintenance. Why must we always go without power just for checks? No backup plan?”
Others, more understanding, hoped the city sticks to its four-hour promise and doesn’t “do an Eskom” by stretching outages into the night.

Beyond Pretoria North: More headaches for Wapadrand

In a separate headache for Tshwane residents, parts of the east of the city — including Wapadrand, Equestria, and Silver Lakes were plunged into unexpected darkness after a 132kV trip at the Wapadrand Substation on Tuesday morning.

Technicians have been dispatched, but by late afternoon, many areas remained without power, adding to the capital’s growing frustration with aging infrastructure.

Why this matters: Maintenance or managed neglect?

While Tshwane’s proactive stance on substation efficiency is being welcomed by some, others say the pattern of reactive planning and poor communication has become a systemic issue.

The lack of alternative energy strategies, mobile backup for vulnerable areas, or coordinated support for households with critical medical needs has highlighted how underprepared local governments remain — even in major metros.

Mashigo insists the city is doing its best with available resources and promised “every effort” will be made to complete the work within schedule.

What residents can do

In the meantime, affected households are advised to:

• Switch off sensitive appliances during the scheduled outages

• Keep backup power banks or inverters charged

• Use alternative cooking and heating methods safely

• Report any faults post-restoration via the city’s customer service platforms

The lights may be off, but the message is clear

Pretoria North’s latest power interruption is not load shedding, but it’s close — and the cause isn’t Eskom, but the city itself.

As frustrations simmer and electricity infrastructure continues to show cracks under pressure, residents are demanding not just power, but a plan.

In 2025, reliable electricity is no longer a privilege. It’s a right. And when it’s gone, even for four hours — the true cost is more than just cold tea or dead WiFi. It’s trust.

Brace for Blackouts: City Power Schedules 8-Hour Outages Across Johannesburg This Week

{Source: IOL}

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