City Power may halt services if attacks on technicians continue

By Mandisa Ndlovu

A recent armed hijacking of City Power contractors has resulted in the entity warning that attacks may lead to the withdrawal of service in risky areas.

In the latest incident, which took place two weeks ago in Alexandra, north of Johannesburg, five armed suspects hijacked a contractor’s vehicle while teams were working to secure critical electricity infrastructure.

The contractors were confronted at gunpoint and robbed of their vehicle and equipment, including tools and a generator.

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the attack not only endangered workers but also undermined efforts to stabilise electricity supply in high-risk areas already affected by infrastructure theft and vandalism.

You can go for days without electricity because technicians are scared to come back. Even when they do return, they need escorts, which slows everything down. The delays create frustration, and sometimes that anger is misdirected at the same workers who are trying to help.
— Community member

“The incident forms part of a broader pattern of criminality targeting technicians and contractors across the city,” he said.

Though only two robbery incidents have been officially recorded by City Power since the beginning of the year, Mangena said the reality is far worse. Workers have faced intimidation, attempted attacks, hijackings, and in some cases, have been held hostage while carrying out their duties.

He added that the direct consequence of these incidents is a slowdown in service delivery.

“When teams are threatened or attacked, they are immediately withdrawn from sites for safety reasons, bringing fault-finding and repair work to a halt,” said Mangena.

City Power has warned that if such incidents persist, it may be forced to suspend operations in certain high-risk areas altogether, a move that would have severe implications for already struggling communities.

Mangena stressed that such disruptions can lead to delays ranging from several hours to days, depending on the severity of the threat. In extreme cases, services may be suspended entirely until security conditions improve.

A community policing forum member in Alexandra, who asked not to be named due to safety concerns, said the situation is getting worse and directly affecting residents.

“Criminals are targeting these teams because they know they carry equipment and [have] vehicles,” the member said. “But when the workers leave, it’s the community that suffers the most. Even when community members know who is committing these crimes, they are scared to say who they are.

“You can go for days without electricity because technicians are scared to come back. Even when they do return, they need escorts, which slows everything down. The delays create frustration, and sometimes that anger is misdirected at the same workers who are trying to help.”

Several areas across Johannesburg have been identified as hotspots for such attacks, including parts of the inner city such as Hillbrow, Malvern, Jeppestown and George Goch, as well as Westbury, Roodepoort, Eldorado Park, Lenasia, and sections of Alexandra. Informal settlements across the city have also been flagged as high-risk.

In response, City Power said that it has implemented a range of safety measures aimed at protecting its employees while maintaining operations. These include deploying security escorts, both private and law enforcement, for technicians working in high-risk areas.

The entity said it is working closely with the Johannesburg metropolitan police and public order policing units to secure work sites and respond to incidents.

City Power has also adopted a risk-based operational approach, which allows teams to withdraw immediately when threats are detected and only return once it is safe to do so.

Mangena said the entity is strengthening community partnerships through its Community Partnership Programme, which encourages residents, businesses, and local security structures to help protect electricity infrastructure and report suspicious activity. More than 800 agreements have already been signed under the initiative.

Despite these interventions, challenges remain. No arrests have yet been made in connection with the recent Alexandra hijacking.