Johannesburg power outages: Brace for a week of planned cuts in these 39 areas

Johannesburg residents should brace themselves for power outages varying from seven to eight hours in 39 areas of the City of Gold starting next Monday, 17 February.

According to City Power Johannesburg, the power cuts are necessary to perform maintenance work on their electricity network.

Another positive outcome of the interruption will be an improvement in service, as outdated electricity networks tend to deliver poor electricity supply.

Other things contributed to Joburg electricity crisis

Nico de Jager, DA shadow MMC for infrastructure, said the other things contributing to the Joburg electricity crisis included a lack of skilled employees, mismanagement and a lack of financial support from relevant authorities.

“Remember, City Power gets its budget from a political office, which is the mayoral financial department,” said De Jager.

“When the budget is being allocated, they don’t consider the issue of maintenance, which is important to ensure that the entity can perform its duties. By law, the entity has to spend 8% of its annual budget on maintenance and refurbishment, which is now not the case as they spend about 2%.

“This affects the infrastructure and causes more problems such as power outages.

“It affects consumers and the financial well-being of City Power as when there is a power cut they lose revenue. The power cut in Johannesburg was problematic because more than 60% of City Power customers are businesses, so it will also affect the economy.”

Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse CEO Wayne Duvenage said: “What we see in Johannesburg is as a result of bad leadership. When you live in a city like Johannesburg, you always expect this because the ANC and its coalition partners are not focusing on serious matters like fixing infrastructure.

“This has got worse because if they now have to shut down several areas for maintenance, it shows that the situation is critical and it will affect business and households.”

Johannesburg power outages: Where and when?

Take a look at all the areas which will be affected by the incoming Johannesburg power outages:

Monday, 17 February: Power outage from 9am to 5pm in these areas:

• International Business Gateway (IBG)
• Midridge Park Ext. 13
• Halfway Gardens Ext. 103
• Erand Gardens Ext. 49

Wednesday, 19 February: Maintenance at Parkhurst Substation will result in a power outage from 8am to 4pm in these areas:

• Victory Park
• Linden
• Pierneef Park
• Some parts of Blairgowrie

Thursday, 20 February: Maintenance at Glen Lea Substation will affect these areas from 8am to 4pm:

• Lea Glen
• Fleurhof
• Rand Water

Thursday, 20 February: In Kyalami Park SWS the power outage will take place from 9am to 5pm in these areas:

• Indianapolis
• Kyalami Boulevard
• Monza Close
• Silverton Crescent
• Monte Carlo Crescent
• Bonnita

Friday, 21 February: The Stormille Switching Station power outage from 8am to 4pm will affect these areas:

• Stormille
• Highgate Mall
• Putcotin

Saturday, 22 February: The power outage at Gressworld Substation will affect these areas from 8am to 3pm:

• Wynberg 1 and 2
• Wynberg East and West
• Wynberg/Kew
• Kew South and West
• Kew/Bramley View
• Glenhazel
• Glenhazel South
• Rambrandt Park
• Lombady East
• Bramley Gardens/Kew
• Linksfield North Ext. 7
• Bramley Park/Athol
• Silvamonte
• Lyndust East
• Crystal Gardens
• Sunningdale/Rambrandt

ALSO READ: Eskom and load shedding: ‘The worst is yet to come’ – expert

Load shedding after almost a year of no rolling blackouts

Recently, the country found itself with rolling blackouts again after almost a year of no load shedding. The power outages was implemented during the weekend of 31 January.

Energy analysts Prof Sampson Mamphweli and Tshepo Mahlaba said the unpredictability of Eskom’s coal fleet optimism and old power stations could lead to more power outages.

Eskom said it was forced to implement precautionary measures due to temporary setbacks such as breakdowns at their two power stations.

The experts said Eskom’s coal fleet was not predictable, especially the older power stations.

The latest power stoppages came after 10 months of uninterrupted supply, with load shedding seen to belong to the past, due to the success of the generation recovery plan (GRP).

Eskom said the GRP led to structural improvements in the coal fleet and efficiency gains of R16.30 billion – saved in diesel costs, compared with the previous year.

According to Mamphweli, head of the energy secretariat at the SA National Energy Development Institute, Eskom’s coal fleet was “not predictable, especially the old power stations”.

How to prepare for an outage

• Keep your cellphone fully charged when the power is on.
• Make sure your vehicle(s) have fuel in the tank – petrol stations cannot pump fuel during power outages.
• Release your automatic electric garage door mechanisms so that you can gain access to your property during a power outage.
• Switch your electric security gates to “manual” to avoid being either locked out of or in your home.
• Keep boiled water in thermos flasks for hot drinks during a power outage.
• Prepare meals before a power outage starts.
• Keep a stock of essential tinned foods and snacks that do not need refrigeration – preserved foods are easy alternatives if you were not able to prepare a meal before the power outage starts.
• Invest in a small LP gas heating ring for essential cooking and to boil water for hot drinks – make sure you have an extra bottle of gas.
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed at all times – a power outage of four hours should not cause food spoilage and a freezer should keep food frozen and safe for at least a day.
• Most medications that need refrigeration can be kept in a closed fridge for several hours without spoiling. 

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Additional reporting by Brian Sokutu