Cable theft, fire at substation blamed for JHB power outages

As a result traffic lights were not working along major roads in Johannesburg including Beyers Naude, William Nicol Drive, Republic Rd and Malibongwe road.

Traffic specialist Rob Byrne said there were large disruptions on some of the busiest roads in Johannesburg due to power outages, which resulted in major delays and high traffic volumes.

City Power said the outage in the greater Randburg area affected nearby suburbs; Weltervredenpark, Allens Nek, Bromhof, Randpark Ridge, Wilgeheuwel and Honeydew.

City Power’s acting spokesperson Yumna Sheik said cable theft in Randburg had caused the power outage.

“There was cable theft in Randburg and we already have technicians on site restoring the outage. We’ve reported the matter to the police and we apologise to affected residents and businesses for the inconvenience this has caused,” Sheik said.

Sheik added that they would like to urge residents to keep an eye on suspicious activities as cable thieves were on the prowl again.

Meanwhile, Ekurhuleni municipality said there was a fire at the Rynfield substation in Benoni in the early hours of Friday morning, which caused power outages on the East Rand. The areas affected included Northmead, Ebotse, Crystal Park, Morehill, Putfontein, Brentwood Park, and Fairleads.

(Photo: Supplied)