Tensions continued to run high among City of Tshwane residents on Thursday as intermittent power outages continue to affect several areas, leaving many households in prolonged darkness for days.

In a show of outrage over poor service delivery, residents near Mabopane train station, who have been severely impacted by power cuts, took to the streets on Wednesday, barricading roads with burning tyres to express their frustration.

Other areas hit by the power outages included parts of Region 3, covering Pretoria CBD, Waverley, Ashlea Gardens and Lotus Gardens, as well as Pienaarspoort in Region 5.

Catherine Dlamini, a pensioner from Soshanguve Block JJ, expressed her distress after her neighbourhood was hit by the widespread power outages, leaving her without electricity and feeling stranded.

Unlike some residents who have gas stoves as a backup, Dlamini and her grandchildren were forced to go to bed hungry on Wednesday night as they had no alternative means of cooking during the power outage.

She said: “We went to bed with empty stomachs because we couldn't cook without electricity. We don't have a paraffin stove or firewood as a backup, so we were forced to go without food.”

Dipuo Maluleka, another exasperated resident, said: “The frequent power cuts are not only inconvenient but they are also damaging our appliances. My refrigerator, for instance has malfunctioned due to the constant on-and-off power supply. Now, we are worried that the food stored in the fridge will spoil, which is a huge concern for us.”

She said the recurring power outages in her area started on Sunday with a brief outage that lasted less than an hour.

However, on Monday the power went out at 11am and did not return until 6pm.

“On Wednesday we experienced yet another round of power cuts. It feels like we're constantly in the dark here in Tshwane,” she said.

Municipal spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the ongoing power outages in parts of Soshanguve are attributed to multiple cable faults impacting the Soshanguve 1A substation.

Mashigo explained that the city's technical team is working tirelessly to restore power to the affected areas.

However, their efforts are being hindered by the recurring appearance of multiple faults on different feeder cables, which seem to emerge daily, slowing down the team's progress.

“As of yesterday, March 5, 2025, the team managed to restore power to Jukulyn main feeders of Block X and Block W substations and 90% of Block BB. However, while repairing the last fault, the network tripped, causing additional faults in areas where power had already been restored,” he said.

He said the situation has now been compounded by Block JJ main feeder cables which are also faulty.

“It is suspected that these multiple faults could be caused by burned out copper cables on the main supply line,”Mashigo said.

He pleaded with residents in the affected areas to remain patient and understanding as technicians work diligently to complete repairs and investigate the underlying cause of the persistent cable faults.

“Estimated restoration time is not yet known, however, the city undertakes to restore normal services as speedily and as practically possible,” he said.

Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Nasiphi Moya assured the affected residents the City is taking action to address power outages across multiple regions.

On Wednesday night, she said: “Over the next 12 hours, efforts will be intensified to restore supply as swiftly as possible. These outages have been largely caused by cable faults, exacerbated by recent heavy rainfall, resulting in widespread infrastructure failures. These failures have also led to block and single outages, which are being addressed.”

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za

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Power crisis deepens in Tshwane as cable faults leave residents in the dark