City Power has announced that repairs at the central substation in Johannesburg have reached the final connection and testing stage. However, the utility company is still unable to provide a date for when electricity will be fully restored to all remaining affected customers. The repairs are being carried out after a fire at the substation left residents in Marshalltown and surrounding parts of the Johannesburg CBD without electricity for six days, starting from September 26.
The fire damaged a feeder board and associated cables, with City Power suspecting that vandalism and attempted cable theft may have triggered the incident. Technical teams have completed joining damaged sections of several high-voltage cables and have pulled the repaired cables into position. The cables serving several key streets, including Fox Street east, Commissioner Street west, and Marshall Street east and west, have been repaired.
According to City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena, the restoration work scheduled for the night shift was disrupted by protest activity in parts of the CBD, which delayed the movement and deployment of technical teams. However, the teams have since resumed work as conditions permit. The electrical equipment has already undergone high-voltage testing, with the latest test reaching 15kV.
Further cleaning and preparation are underway before additional tests can be conducted at higher levels. Once the equipment has passed the required checks, technicians will connect the repaired cables to available equipment so that electricity can be restored to more residents. City Power has reached 45% restoration by 7 pm on Wednesday, helped by network changes made after the previous fire.
The restoration will continue in stages as individual sections are repaired, tested, and confirmed safe to energize. City Power has urged residents and businesses not to go to the central substation to check on progress, as the site is dangerous and access is restricted. The work is being carried out in a damaged underground environment and has to be done carefully to protect workers and members of the public.
The utility company is working to restore power to the affected areas as quickly and safely as possible. However, the complexity of the repairs and the need to ensure public safety are making it challenging to provide a specific timeline for full restoration. Residents and businesses are advised to be patient and to follow updates from City Power.
City Power is making progress in restoring power to the Johannesburg CBD, but the full restoration date remains unknown. The company will continue to work through the night and day to complete the repairs and restore power to all affected areas. Key areas that have seen progress include the completion of high-voltage testing and the repair of several key cables.
Key points
- City Power has reached 45% restoration of power in the affected areas.
- The utility company suspects vandalism and attempted cable theft triggered the fire at the central substation.
- The restoration work is being carried out in a damaged underground environment, requiring careful execution to ensure public safety.
