The City of Johannesburg has issued a formal notice about an upcoming power outage set to impact 17 areas across the metro. The scheduled electricity cuts are linked to essential maintenance on the city’s power infrastructure, and residents are urged to prepare accordingly.
Power interruptions are set to take place over two separate days: Saturday, 7 June 2025, and Tuesday, 10 June 2025. The city’s electricity provider explained that the maintenance is necessary to ensure a stable and improved power supply for customers going forward.
On Saturday, the affected areas will experience outages between 8:00 AM and 2:00 PM. These zones include:
- Claim Street Central and North
- Quartz Banket South and Quartz Street Central
- High Point and Prospect Road
- Doornfontein South and Wolmarans Street East
- Nugget Banket and Abel Road
- Soper Road
- Micro Towers 1 through 4
On Tuesday, 10 June 2025, from 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM, another round of power cuts will affect:
- Wanderers Street
- Hospital ‘N’ Street
- Wolmarans Street
- Smit Street
- Sutherland Avenue
Officials apologized for the inconvenience and assured residents that the maintenance is aimed at ensuring long-term efficiency in power delivery.
Copper Cable Theft in Free State Fuels Power Crisis Fears
While Johannesburg prepares for routine outages, authorities in the Free State face a more alarming threat to electricity stability—cable theft.
Four suspects were recently arrested in Petrus Steyn after being caught red-handed digging up copper cables from a cemetery in the Nketoana Municipality. The incident unfolded after local residents reported suspicious activity to the police.
Officers arrived swiftly and apprehended three of the individuals on-site. A search revealed pieces of stolen copper cables inside their backpacks. A fourth suspect was later caught in the nearby Mamafubedu township. Upon seeing the police, he dropped his bag filled with copper cables and attempted to flee, but was quickly captured.
All four suspects were charged with possession of suspected stolen property. Three have since been released on bail. However, the fourth remains in custody due to previous offenses.
Speaking to The South African, Warrant Officer Mmako Mophiring confirmed that the ongoing cable thefts are not only criminal but also contribute to power instability in many parts of the country.
As the Johannesburg power utility works to strengthen its network, incidents like these highlight the broader challenges facing South Africa’s power infrastructure—from planned maintenance to illegal cable theft. Residents are encouraged to stay informed and report suspicious activity that could threaten community services.