Note to Editors: Attached please find a soundbite in English here by Nico De Jager MPL.
The ongoing problem at the Central Substation highlights the City of Joburg’s failure to properly provide for the maintenance of electricity infrastructure. Residents and businesses in Marshalltown in the Johannesburg CBD have been left without electricity for the fourth time since September, following an explosion. This is not only an inconvenience to residents but also to the local economy.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will use its oversight role in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature to demand answers from the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Jacob Mamabolo, on infrastructure investment, maintenance backlogs and the measures being taken to prevent repeated electricity outages.
City Power has confirmed that equipment installation and cabling work at the substation are continuing, with electricity supply dependent on the completion of technical work, testing, and safety clearances.
For residents, no electricity means food spoiling in refrigerators, children struggling to study, security systems failing, and households being forced to spend money they do not have on alternative energy.
For businesses, the consequences are even more devastating. Restaurants lose stock, retailers lose customers, offices cannot operate, and small businesses that are already fighting to survive are pushed closer to closure.
We cannot speak about attracting investment, creating jobs, and growing Johannesburg’s economy while failing to provide something as fundamental as reliable electricity.
While these repairs by City Power are necessary, the bigger question is why critical infrastructure serving Johannesburg’s economic heartland has been allowed to become so vulnerable in the first place. This hinders job creation and forces business owners to leave the CBD because of the intermittent electricity.
Johannesburg urgently needs a comprehensive, fully funded Infrastructure Master Plan that will address the electricity issues residents and businesses face. The city cannot limp from one electricity outage to the next.
The DA already has an Infrastructure Master Plan (IMP) ready for implementation. This plan includes a complete assessment of ageing substations, transformers, and distribution networks, with clear priorities for rehabilitation, replacement, proactive maintenance, and expansion. The plan will provide transparent timelines, measurable implementation targets, and clear accountability for delivery.
Our residents and businesses deserve reliable services that support economic growth, attract investors, and create more jobs. Johannesburg cannot build a prosperous future on collapsing infrastructure.