Eight Days in the Dark: Pretoria Residents Battle Unrelenting Power Outages

Life without power stretches into over a week

For many residents in Pretoria, what began as a stormy start to December has turned into an exhausting and frightening battle with eight days of power outages. From Sunnyside to Arcadia, Brooklyn to Waverley, homes and schools have been plunged into darkness as the City of Tshwane struggles to restore electricity following heavy storms earlier this month.

Residents say the experience has been more than inconvenientit’s disruptive, stressful, and, in some cases, life-threatening.

Ward 59 cries out for solutions

Councillor Shaun Wilkinson of Ward 59 described the ongoing chaos with a mix of frustration and fatigue.

“It seems we are still dealing with the chaos, frustration, and disappointment that comes with no power, no plan communicated, and no timelines shared,” Wilkinson told local media.
“At this point, prayer, hope, or wishes might be our only backup power supply.”

Wilkinson admitted that he himself is in the dark along with his constituents. His concern grows particularly for institutions like Prinshof School for the Blind, which has relied on over 600 liters of diesel to keep kitchens and hostels running, sending pupils home early due to the power disruptions.

Storm damage and unsafe conditions

Local residents point to storm-related damage and poorly maintained infrastructure as major contributors to the outages. Carla du Preez, who lives in one of the affected neighborhoods, highlighted the dangers of overgrown trees and power lines:

“There are too many trees that are poorly pruned and touching overhead wires. When it rains or when there’s lightning, it’s a recipe for outages and sparks flying everywhere.”

In Murray Street, du Preez described a massive tree that toppled onto power lines, leaving residents navigating fallen wires for days while waiting for municipal crews to clear the debris.

“It’s not just inconvenient. Some residents rely on medication that must be refrigerated, and others have medical devices that run on electricity. This is life-threatening.”

A city-wide crisis

The blackouts have affected neighborhoods across Pretoria, including Queenswood, Wonderboom South, Colbyn, Menlo Park, Riviera, Gezina, and Groenkloof.

DA mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink expressed alarm over the prolonged outages:

“One would imagine that leaving half the city in darkness for nearly a week would trigger urgent action from the executive. Yet residents continue to wait, in fear and frustration.”

Social media has lit up with local anger, with posts ranging from humorous memes about cooking in the dark to serious warnings about health and safety risks.

The human toll

Beyond the inconvenience, prolonged power outages have exposed a fragile dependency on electricity in modern Pretoria. Families struggle to store food and medicine safely, students are sent home early, and elderly residents are left vulnerable in sweltering homes without fans or heaters.

“These outages remind us that electricity is not just about comfort,” one Sunnyside resident posted online.
“It’s about safety, health, and basic dignity.”

As Tshwane battles a backlog of outages, residents are demanding clear communication, faster response times, and preventive measures to reduce risks from storm damage in the future.

Eight days without power may soon end, but the frustration, fear, and lessons learned in Pretoria’s blackout will linger long after the lights come back on.

{Source: The Citizen}

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