City Power’s plan to fix Alexandra’s electricity crisis

City Power has launched an intensive intervention aimed at restoring a stable and sustainable electricity supply in Alexandra while addressing illegal electricity connections, infrastructure vandalism and poor revenue collection.

Acting City Power CEO Charles Tlouane made the commitment during a visit to the Alexandra service delivery centre, where he met councillors, management and operational teams amid concerns about recurring power outages in the township.

Tlouane, accompanied by members of City Power’s executive management, also inspected areas that have experienced frequent electricity interruptions.

“I came here because I believe in finding solutions to problems. I want to understand the challenges on the ground and what we, as the executive, need to do differently to improve service delivery to the residents of Alexandra,” he said.

The utility identified several factors contributing to the crisis, including illegal connections, meter bypassing, cable theft, vandalism, damaged infrastructure, low electricity vending levels and the rapid growth of informal settlements and backyard dwellings.

Tlouane said Alexandra requires a tailored approach, warning that the current state of the electricity network is unsustainable.

While City Power has the authority to disconnect illegal users and impose penalties before reconnection, he said enforcement alone would not resolve the problem.

Instead, the utility plans to work with residents, councillors and community structures to improve compliance and protect electricity infrastructure.

The financial burden on City Power remains significant. According to Tlouane, the utility spends about R250m each month supplying electricity to Alexandra but collects only about R29m in revenue.

“This is not sustainable. We have to improve electricity supply while also dealing with the enormous gap between the electricity being consumed and what is being paid for,” said Tlouane.

Over the coming weeks, the power utility will intensify operations. Metering teams will audit defective and bypassed meters, revenue protection teams will target illegal electricity use, while security services will work with the Johannesburg metro police and the South African Police Service to combat cable theft, vandalism and illegal connections.

The utility will also assist qualifying residents with registration for the city’s expanded social package and free basic electricity programme. Technical teams will focus on repairing damaged infrastructure, upgrading equipment and improving the stability of electricity supply.

City Power and local councillors have also agreed to hold an imbizo within the next two weeks to engage residents on the planned intervention and hear their concerns.

Tlouane said the initiative aims to reduce power outages while ensuring the network becomes financially sustainable through responsible electricity use and improved revenue collection.

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