KEY POINTS
- City Power and Eskom continue repairs after major Roodepoort outage
- Nearly half of the area left without electricity
- Explosion on Eskom line feeding substations caused disruption
City Power and Eskom technical teams are continuing repair work in Roodepoort after a major electricity outage left nearly half of the area without power. The teams worked overnight to identify faults and carry out emergency repairs following the disruption on Thursday afternoon.
According to City Power, the outage was triggered by an explosion on an Eskom line that feeds intake substations supplying electricity to a large portion of Roodepoort. The incident affected previously restored connections and forced engineers to reassess and restart parts of the repair process.
The power utility said the damaged infrastructure significantly impacted supply to residential areas and businesses, prompting urgent intervention by both City Power and Eskom technicians. Crews remained on-site through the night to isolate the fault, assess the extent of the damage and begin restoration work.
Repairs ongoing as technicians assess damage
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena confirmed that teams are still working to restore electricity to all affected households. He said the explosion on the Eskom line caused setbacks to earlier repairs, prolonging the restoration timeline.
Technicians are focusing on stabilising the network, repairing damaged equipment and gradually restoring supply to affected feeders. Power restoration is expected to be done in phases to prevent overloading the system once electricity is returned.
Officials noted that outages of this scale require careful coordination between City Power and Eskom, particularly where transmission lines feeding substations are involved. The utilities are also monitoring the network to ensure no additional faults occur during restoration.
Residents urged to prepare for possible delays
Authorities have advised residents to monitor City Power’s social media platforms for updates as repair work continues. The utility warned that the outage could extend into the weekend depending on the extent of the damage and progress of repairs.
Residents in affected areas have been encouraged to plan accordingly, especially those dependent on electricity for business operations, refrigeration and essential household needs.
The outage highlights ongoing pressure on electricity infrastructure, with aging equipment and unexpected failures continuing to disrupt supply in parts of Johannesburg. Officials said further updates will be provided as repairs progress and power is gradually restored.
