- City Power does not have a stock of mini-substations, as it has allowed contracts to lapse.
- By the end of August 2025, the City of Johannesburg owed City Power almost R2 billion.
- City Power contractors, often go unpaid, or paid far too late.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) can reveal that City Power’s inability to restore power outages swiftly is because of the City’s own financial mismanagement. This only confirms what residents across Johannesburg are already feeling daily.
Following feedback on DA-questions, we van reveal that City Power has no available stock of mini-substations, as its supply contract has lapsed and a new procurement process remains incomplete.
This means that when equipment fails or is damaged, City Power must depend on external contractors. This is a process that causes further delays and adds unnecessary costs. Worse still, these contractors often face late payments exceeding the 30-day legal requirement, simply because the City of Johannesburg has failed to transfer adequate funds to its own utility.
By the end of August 2025, the City owed City Power over R2 billion due to persistent short-payments, and no satisfactory explanation has been provided for this shortfall.
It has become a vicious cycle of expired contracts, delayed procurement, and cash-flow crises that urgently need to be rectified. This continues to leave residents paying the price through extended blackouts, reduced maintenance, and longer restoration times.
The collapse of City Power is a direct result of an ANC/EFF/PA coalition that lacks the leadership and vision needed to run a City.
Enough is enough, Johannesburg residents deserve better. The DA remains committed to building a City that works, and those who contribute to destroying it must be held to account.
The DA has consistently called for sound financial management, transparent procurement, and timely payments to all City entities. Only when these fundamentals are restored will City Power be able to keep the lights on.