City Power urges power saving as cold weather hits Joburg

City Power is urging Johannesburg residents to cut down on electricity usage as freezing temperatures and heavy rainfall persist, straining the city's power grid. The utility is currently handling over 2,000 open outage reports across its eight service delivery centers.

The South African Weather Service has issued a warning about the severe cold weather, which includes strong winds and rain in various parts of the country due to a powerful cold front sweeping through the nation.

In the Eastern Cape, small-scale farmers are facing challenges feeding their animals due to the snow-covered grazing land. Additionally, several mountain passes in the province are blocked by heavy snowfall.

While efforts to restore power are underway, wet conditions are complicating the work. City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena explains that many electricity faults, especially those involving underground cables, require technicians to perform detailed fault diagnosis, followed by excavation and trenching to access and repair the damaged cables. However, when the ground is saturated with water, excavation may be unsafe or challenging, and open trenches can become waterlogged, posing a risk to the electrical infrastructure.