KEY POINTS
- Heavy rains in Gauteng are slowing Eskom’s repair efforts, causing delays in restoring power.
- Multiple suburbs in Kempton Park, including areas near O.R. Tambo Airport, were hit by a sudden outage.
- Flooded trenches and inaccessible roads are preventing technicians from safely beginning repairs.
Heavy rainfall across Gauteng has slowed down repair efforts at Eskom, with the utility warning that widespread flooding is forcing technicians to halt or restart work repeatedly as power cuts hit parts of Ekurhuleni, including Kempton Park and O.R. Tambo International Airport.
The latest outage struck early on Sunday, leaving several suburbs without electricity. Initial checks point to a fault on Eskom’s side of the grid, though the utility says conditions on the ground are making it difficult to provide clear restoration timelines.
In a string of updates shared on its social media platforms, Eskom said the rainfall has left trenches, access routes and working areas submerged, meaning crews must drain water before they can attempt any repairs. The persistent downpour has also made some roads inaccessible, adding further delays.
The company stressed that its teams were treating the situation as urgent and were working as fast as conditions would allow.
Flooded Trenches and Impassable Roads Slow Repairs Across Ekurhuleni
Kempton Park has been hit by multiple major power disruptions in recent weeks, and today’s failure marks yet another strain on residents and businesses already dealing with unstable supply. The sudden loss of electricity has also affected parts of the grid supplied through the municipality, extending the impact to high-traffic areas such as O.R. Tambo Airport.
Eskom said its technicians were standing by to resume work whenever conditions improve, but the combination of waterlogged infrastructure and ongoing rainfall remains a major obstacle.
The utility noted that the restoration of power remains its top priority, though it cautioned that safety comes first, and no repair can be carried out until sites are secure and dry enough for staff to operate.
Local authorities have urged residents to expect delays as the weather system continues to move across Gauteng, with more showers forecast through the day.
The disruption adds to broader concerns over infrastructure resilience as heavy rain causes flash flooding and transport challenges across several municipalities.
