City Power- The province and several other parts of South Africa spent the weekend grappling with relentless heavy rains that led to flooding, infrastructure strain, and widespread power interruptions. In Johannesburg, City Power has warned residents to expect delays in the utility’s response time as teams navigate challenging weather conditions and flooded areas across the city. The persistent downpours, which began late last week, have caused significant disruptions to electricity networks, damaged some infrastructure, and created dangerous working conditions for technicians.
As rainwater accumulated in low-lying neighbourhoods and several major roads became submerged, City Power crews were forced to slow down their operations in order to maintain safety while still working to reconnect affected households. Although the rainfall is expected to ease later in the week, authorities warn that the effects of the weekend’s severe weather will continue to affect response and repair efforts for days to come.
According to weather forecasts, the heavy rains are likely to subside in the coming days, but scattered showers remain possible on Monday. While this offers some relief, the impact of the weekend’s intense weather will not vanish immediately. Waters remain pooled in parts of Johannesburg, and some electricity infrastructure—especially underground cables and open trenches—remains inaccessible.
Amid these challenges, City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena has urged residents to remain patient as technicians continue their work under difficult circumstances. He emphasised that the utility’s teams have been deployed across the city but are forced to proceed cautiously due to safety hazards caused by the flooding.
“Trenching may also be a bit difficult as it means navigating through flooded roads, but the teams will do their best to minimise the impact and ensure quick response,” Mangena said.
His statement highlights the reality facing many utility workers: while the public expects speedy restoration, the unstable weather conditions and waterlogged infrastructure pose significant risks and slow down the pace of repairs.
City Power Working to Restore Power Despite Slow Turnaround Times
Over the weekend, several suburbs reported outages as water seeped into electrical infrastructure, leading to faults and temporary shutdowns for safety reasons. In some areas, City Power teams were unable to reach equipment due to flooded access routes, forcing them to reroute or wait for water levels to drop.
Despite these setbacks, Mangena stressed that City Power remains committed to restoring services as quickly as possible. He reassured residents that technicians were working extended hours and that the utility was prioritising the most urgent cases, especially those affecting large areas or critical facilities such as hospitals and water-pumping stations.
“Our teams are on the ground and attending to outages in all affected areas,” Mangena added. “However, due to the flooding and ongoing rains, access is limited and certain repairs may take longer than usual. We ask for the public’s understanding and patience during this period.”
Heavy rains can wreak havoc on electricity networks for several reasons. Excessive moisture can cause faults in underground cables, ignite short circuits, or damage exposed wiring. In Johannesburg, the problem is often worsened by ageing infrastructure, illegal connections, and soil erosion during storms. When combined with flooding, these factors complicate repair operations significantly.
For City Power, the weekend’s weather did not simply bring down power lines—it created a chain reaction of hazards. Technician teams had to avoid submerged streets, protect equipment from water infiltration, and at times even wait for stormwater systems to drain before accessing damaged infrastructure.
The utility has repeatedly warned that attempts to restore power in flooded areas can be life-threatening, both for employees and residents. As such, safety protocols require technicians to delay certain repairs until conditions improve, even if it extends outage durations.
With more rain predicted throughout the week, City Power has advised residents to take precautions, report outages promptly, and avoid interacting with any electrical infrastructure during or after heavy rainfall. The utility has also urged community members to stay away from flooded electrical boxes, substations, or fallen cables, as these may still be energised and pose severe risks.
The weekend’s events have once again highlighted the vulnerability of urban infrastructure during extreme weather. As climate patterns shift and storms intensify, utilities like City Power find themselves under growing pressure to respond quickly while protecting workers and communities.
Although the weather system is expected to weaken, City Power has warned that backlog restoration efforts may continue throughout the week. The utility has reiterated that residents will be kept informed of progress, but delays are unavoidable under the current circumstances.
Despite the challenges, Mangena affirmed that City Power remains committed to restoring electricity safely and efficiently: “We will continue to work until all customers are reconnected. Safety comes first, but service delivery remains a priority.”
Source- EWN
