POWER CUTS: Underground tour reveals scale of problems plaguing Joburg’s power infrastructure

After weeks of anger over prolonged blackouts, Johannesburg property owners have taken an underground tour of the Central Substation to witness the scale of the cable theft and ageing infrastructure plaguing the city's power infrastructure. The Central Substation, located in Johannesburg's inner city, has been the site of repeated lengthy outages, driving tenants away and frustrating paying residents.

Angela Rivers, executive director of the Johannesburg Property Owners and Managers Association (JPOMA), shared her experience after the underground tour.

Rivers was impressed with the level of professionalism and knowledge of the engineering team at City Power and their openness to engage with property owners. She was particularly impressed by the demonstration of how thieves had broken into the network through walls and tunnels, pointing out the stolen cables and damaged equipment.

The tour also shed light on the challenges faced in restoring the Central Substation. City Power had attempted to keep an ageing feeder board operating while building a new one, but the old equipment failed before the new one was completed. The old feeder board caught fire and exploded, making it irreparable. City Power plans to restore the substation in stages, with the estimated restoration date set for October 20, subject to successful testing and safety clearances.

Despite security measures such as 24-hour armed guards, thieves continue to attempt access to the substation even during repair efforts. City Power has replaced copper cables with aluminium ones to make the infrastructure less attractive to thieves. However, the scale of the theft problem remains significant, with City Power recording 652 incidents in seven months.