Pretoria Scrambles to Restore Power After Devastating Storms

Storm aftermath leaves Pretoria in the dark

Pretoria residents have spent more than a week navigating life without consistent electricity after severe storms swept through the city. From traffic lights failing to homes and businesses left in the dark, the disruptions have been far-reaching.

The City of Tshwane has now intensified efforts to restore power, acknowledging that the damage from the storms has overwhelmed standard response protocols. City spokesperson Selby Bokaba confirmed that 26 major outages remain citywide, though other areas have regained enough capacity to address new faults within the usual 24-hour turnaround.

“We thank residents for their patience and understanding as technicians work around the clock to clear the backlog of outages,” Bokaba said.

Extra hands on deck

To speed up the process, the municipality has pulled together additional personnel. Amabutho public lighting teams were temporarily reassigned to Region 3, which experienced the highest concentration of outages. In total, 17 extra personnel drawn from metering teams and other regions have been deployed to assist local technicians.

Bokaba emphasized that these reinforcements are part of a broader push to restore normal electricity service as quickly as possible.

Political and public frustration grows

The delays have not gone unnoticed. DA Tshwane mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink called for urgent intervention, criticizing the city for what he described as a lack of recognition of the crisis’s severity.

“Residents are suffering prolonged blackouts, yet the municipality seems slow to respond. Immediate, visible action is needed,” Brink said.

Social media has mirrored this frustration, with residents posting photos of downed power lines, traffic chaos, and the impact on daily life. Some expressed concern for vulnerable communities reliant on electricity for medical equipment, while others pointed out the strain on small businesses already recovering from other storm-related damages.

The bigger picture

While storms are an unpredictable reality in Gauteng, the scale of outages highlights broader challenges for Tshwane’s electricity infrastructure. The city faces aging grids, resource constraints, and increasing demand factors that amplify the impact of severe weather events.

Residents are hoping that this latest storm will serve as a wake-up call to strengthen systems, improve crisis communication, and ensure that when the next storm hits, the city is better prepared.

{Source: The Citizen}

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