20-day blackout: Power back on at Joburg child welfare hub despite Gauteng’s R159m debt
Electricity has been restored to Johannesburg’s Children’s Memorial Institute after a 20-day blackout caused by a R159m Gauteng government debt dispute. While the reconnection brings relief, child-welfare organisations remain concerned that without a formal agreement, the site could face another cutoff.
On Tuesday, 22 September, Johannesburg's Children's Memorial Institute had its electricity restored, ending a 20-day blackout caused by a significant debt dispute between the Gauteng government and the facility. However, despite the relief, child-welfare organizations remain uncertain and concerned about future power outages. The restoration occurred less than 48 hours after Daily Maverick reported that city officials had overruled the mayor's commitment to reconnect the campus.
The underlying intergovernmental debt crisis remains unresolved, with no formal guarantees provided to protect the child welfare hub from future cuts.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
