City Power on Thursday confirmed that the theft of a 17-metre cable on Saayman Road in Roodepoort caused a power outage in several neighbourhoods.
The incident is believed to have occurred late Wednesday night and exacerbated City Power’s existing challenges – ageing infrastructure and vandalism.
Roodepoort power outage
Affected areas
City Power said Radiokop, Honeydew, and Boothill may experience power outages, however, operators assessed the damage on Thursday and replace the stolen cables.
They plan to replace the stolen goods and conduct final tests, with the goal of restoring power by throughout the course of today (Friday).
Still, City Power said the time of restoration is subject to everything going according to plan. Meanwhile, the repairs were placed on hold during load shedding.
Report outages and cable theft
City Power appeals to the public to report any incidents of theft or vandalism to their local police station, or report irregular activity on citypower.mobi.
Alternatively, incidents, outages and theft may also be reported by emailing [email protected].
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What to do now?
Roodepoort residents in the affected areas may stay informed by checking City Power’s official social media feeds, as updates will be shared as it becomes available.
Keep food and medicine refrigerated and reduce the number of times you open the fridge. If possible, move perishable food items to a cooler to keep them as fresh as possible.
Be mindful of safety and avoid using candles, as they pose a fire hazard. Use flashlights or battery-powered lanterns instead.
Also, unplug electronics to protect against surges or power fluctuations when the power is restored.
Compiled by Cheryl Kahla
