Lenasia residents continue to face frustration over prolonged and recurring electricity outages, with concerns mounting over the impact on households, businesses, security and vulnerable residents who rely on electricity for essential medical equipment.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena confirmed that the utility was aware of community protest action at Nirvana Substation on 12 August 2026 following electricity supply interruptions affecting Thembelihle, Lenasia Extension 3, parts of Extensions 5 and 13 and surrounding areas.
According to Mangena, Nirvana Substation tripped at approximately 17:20 after its incomer operated on overload. City Power teams were dispatched and began progressively restoring electricity while managing the load to prevent the entire substation from tripping again.
As part of the restoration process, the Thembelihle and Dewel Street distributors were temporarily switched off to reduce the load before the incomer was switched back on. The load was subsequently split, allowing electricity to be restored to some affected customers.
However, City Power said the Thembelihle and Jewel Street distributors remained off because demand was still too high for the network to safely accommodate.
Mangena said the overloading challenges affecting the Lenasia network were linked to a combination of high electricity consumption, illegal connections, meter bypasses and extremely low electricity purchasing levels in some areas.
Current vending information supplied by City Power indicated that only about five per cent of customers in Thembelihle and 10 per cent of customers supplied through the Dewel Street distributor were purchasing electricity, despite the significantly higher amount of electricity being consumed in those areas.
City Power said Thembelihle continued to experience widespread illegal connections, including connections from surrounding informal settlements drawing electricity from the network.
Patsing was also identified as an area presenting challenges, with low vending despite continued electricity consumption. In parts of the Lenasia extensions, bypassed and tampered meters were contributing to unmetered consumption.
According to City Power, although electricity consumed through illegal connections, bypasses and tampered meters is not properly measured or paid for, the demand is still carried by its infrastructure.
The utility said uncontrolled consumption places excessive pressure on transformers, cables and other network infrastructure, contributing to overloading and repeated trips. It also affects customers who purchase electricity legally, as excessive demand can result in wider and longer outages.
The situation at Nirvana Substation was further complicated by reduced transformer capacity.
The substation has three transformers, but City Power said only one was operational. A second transformer was unavailable after its breakers were stolen when criminals allegedly vandalised the substation, while the third transformer had temporarily been moved to assist with supply in Lehae, where infrastructure had also been vandalised.
City Power said its teams would source material on 13 August 2026 to stabilise Nirvana Substation and enable a second transformer to operate, providing additional capacity to manage the increased load.
The utility, however, acknowledged that additional transformer capacity would not resolve the underlying causes of excessive and unregulated electricity demand.
City Power said it would therefore conduct meter audits and network normalisation in affected areas. The programme includes identifying and removing illegal connections, addressing bypassed and tampered meters, verifying customer connections and ensuring that electricity consumed from the network is properly metered and paid for.
The utility said these interventions had been communicated to community leadership, including councillors.
City Power also urged customers who currently had electricity to reduce their consumption, particularly by avoiding the simultaneous use of heaters, geysers, stoves and other high consumption appliances.
Customers who remained without electricity were asked to unplug appliances to prevent a sudden surge in demand when supply was restored.
The utility also appealed to protesters at Nirvana Substation to allow its teams to work safely and without interference, stressing that access to the substation needed to remain clear and employees needed to be protected.
However, while City Power's response provided an explanation of the network challenges and outlined planned interventions, a number of specific questions submitted by the Lenasia Times remained unanswered.
The questions were submitted on 13 August 2026 by Priya Ranchod for the Lenasia Times Newspaper **via a Google Form** following the prolonged outages and protest action in Lenasia.
The questions sought specific answers from City Power regarding the cause of outages lasting more than 36 hours, repairs already completed, outstanding work and the number of City Power employees deployed to address the problem.
City Power was also asked what it was doing to ensure that Lenasia Substation and Nirvana Substation were fully secured, particularly given the recurring nature of electricity interruptions and the reported vandalism and theft of infrastructure.
Questions were further raised about whether City Power was struggling to maintain its infrastructure and whether major substations, transformer substations and pole boxes were adequately maintained or were old and experiencing wear and tear.
The newspaper also asked why City Power appeared to move on to other locations before completing work at an existing problem site and what measures were being implemented to protect and maintain its infrastructure.
City Power was asked to explain how it works with people found connecting electricity illegally and what measures are taken to address illegal connections.
Residents were also seeking clarity on how they could reduce electricity demand and why they were being asked to do so.
A major concern raised was the impact of prolonged outages on vulnerable residents.
City Power was specifically asked whether it recognised that elderly people, young children, babies and residents dependent on oxygen could require electricity around the clock to operate essential equipment, and what assistance was available to them.
The newspaper also questioned City Power about protest action that occurred at three locations on 12 August and why the situation was allowed to continue while residents remained without electricity.
Questions were also submitted about how City Power intended to work with residents to resolve electricity problems more quickly and whether the utility had a dedicated budget for infrastructure maintenance.
Residents' concerns over communication were also raised, with City Power asked why updates were not being provided more frequently and what it was doing to ensure that communities received regular and accurate information rather than being left uncertain about when electricity would return.
Given the reported death during the prolonged outage and concerns surrounding residents dependent on oxygen, City Power was asked what immediate measures it was taking to protect vulnerable residents, restore electricity as quickly as possible and prevent a similar situation from occurring again.
The newspaper also asked whether City Power had received complaints relating to food spoilage, businesses losing income, security concerns, water supply problems and other serious consequences caused by the prolonged outage.
City Power was further asked whether its officials, the City of Johannesburg, emergency medical services or other relevant authorities had worked together to identify and assist residents dependent on oxygen during the outage.
The final question sought details on City Power's emergency procedures for residents who rely on oxygen concentrators, ventilators or other essential medical equipment during prolonged electricity outages.
### Questions submitted to City Power
The following questions were submitted via a Google Form on 13 August 2026 by Priya Ranchod for the Lenasia Times Newspaper:
1. What was the exact cause of the power outage affecting some streets in Extensions 3 to 13 for more than 36 hours?
2. What repairs have been carried out so far, what work remains outstanding and how many City Power team members are working on the issue?
3. This is an ongoing occurrence weekly. What is City Power doing to ensure that Lenasia Substation and Nirvana Substation are secured fully to avoid such outages?
4. Is City Power struggling to maintain infrastructure? And are all major substations, transformer substations or pole boxes maintained, or are they old and at a stage of wear and tear?
5. Why does City Power not finalise a job before moving on to a new place?
6. What is City Power doing about protecting its infrastructure and ensuring it is well maintained?
7. Take us through briefly how City Power works with those connecting power illegally.
8. How can residents reduce the load and why should they?
9. Does City Power care that there are elderly people, young children, babies and others who could be on oxygen and require electricity 24/7 to be able to use the oxygen? If yes or no, explain fully.
10. Protest action occurred in three places on 12 August. Why did City Power allow this to prolong while restoring power?
11. How will City Power work with residents to resolve these issues faster?
12. Does City Power have a budget to maintain its infrastructure?
13. Residents are frustrated. Why does City Power cause more frustration by not updating residents more often?
14. Given the reported death and the number of residents dependent on oxygen, what immediate measures is City Power taking to protect vulnerable residents, restore electricity as quickly as possible and prevent a similar situation from occurring again?
15. What is City Power doing to ensure that residents receive regular and accurate updates rather than being left uncertain about when their electricity will return?
16. Has City Power received complaints from residents about food spoilage, businesses losing income, security concerns, water supply problems or other serious consequences resulting from the prolonged outage?
17. Have City Power officials, the City of Johannesburg, emergency medical services or other relevant authorities been working together to identify and assist residents dependent on oxygen during this outage?
18. What emergency procedures does City Power have in place for residents who depend on electricity for oxygen concentrators, ventilators or other essential medical equipment during prolonged outages?
While City Power's response addressed the network overload, illegal connections, vandalism, transformer capacity and restoration process, the specific questions above were not answered individually.
For residents who have experienced repeated and prolonged outages, the outstanding questions remain critical. The community is not only seeking the restoration of electricity but also clear answers about infrastructure maintenance, security, emergency support, communication and what City Power is doing to prevent the same problems from happening again.
As Lenasia continues to deal with recurring electricity disruptions, residents are looking to City Power and the City of Johannesburg for greater accountability, regular communication and practical measures that will provide a more reliable electricity supply and protect those most vulnerable during prolonged outages.
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