City Power has spent R236 million during the 2025/26 financial year replacing electricity infrastructure damaged by cable theft and vandalism as criminal activity continues to disrupt power supply across Johannesburg.
The figures were revealed during City Power’s 9th Regional Electricity Imbizo, held in South Hills on Wednesday, 28 October, where residents from Wards 65, 57, 56, 124 and surrounding communities met with the utility to discuss ongoing electricity challenges and planned interventions.
Acting Chief Executive Officer Charles Tlouane said ageing infrastructure remains one of the biggest challenges facing the utility. He noted that the Wemmer Substation has been operating for more than 70 years, but said City Power is replacing outdated components instead of carrying out temporary repairs in an effort to improve the reliability of the electricity network.
Tlouane also said cable theft and vandalism account for about 20% of power outages across the City Power network. He called on residents, Community Policing Forums and law enforcement agencies to work together to protect electricity infrastructure, saying it is impossible for the utility to guard every installation.
City Power said it is working closely with the South African Police Service and other law enforcement agencies to combat infrastructure crime. The utility has also requested assistance from the South African National Defence Force to help secure electricity tunnels in the Johannesburg inner city. Although more than 3,000 of its 22,000 load centres have been secured, many installations remain vulnerable to theft and vandalism.
The utility acknowledged complaints about the quality of work carried out by contractors and said it will strengthen quality assurance, improve oversight and enforce greater accountability. It also reported progress in resolving billing disputes, with outstanding customer queries reduced from about 8,000 to fewer than 2,000 since taking over the electricity billing function in July 2025.
City Power Board Chairperson Makhosini Kharodi said the utility remains focused on improving financial accountability, investing in infrastructure and delivering better services to residents. The utility also encouraged qualifying households to register for the City of Johannesburg’s Expanded Social Package, which offers benefits including free basic electricity and relief on certain municipal charges.
City Power said improving electricity reliability will require cooperation between the utility, law enforcement agencies, communities and customers as it continues efforts to combat infrastructure crime, improve maintenance and strengthen revenue collection.
