Amid Power Outages, Tshwane Municipality Insists Infrastructure Age Is Not the Key Issue

• The Tshwane municipality has said that ageing infrastructure is a minor contributor to the recent power outages
• The DA in Tshwane has blamed the current political administration for not having a plan
• Three of the municipality’s substations have caught fire in the past week

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

TSHWANE - The Tshwane municipality has downplayed the role of ageing infrastructure in the recent spate of power outages affecting parts of the capital, describing it as a limited factor.

Fires at three municipal substations

This follows fires at three municipal substations in the past week, including one in Olievenhoutbosch linked to vandalism and two in Koedespoort caused by electrical faults. While the DA in Tshwane has blamed the current political leadership for failing to address deteriorating electricity infrastructure, municipal spokesperson Selby Bokaba said ageing systems were only a minor contributor.

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He explained that regular maintenance is carried out, but funding constraints remain a challenge. Bokaba added that the issue extends beyond electricity. He noted that bulk water infrastructure is also under strain, as many facilities have exceeded their intended 40-year lifespan and are struggling to cope, particularly in cases of vandalism and tampering.

Other stories about Tshwane municipality

The DA is urging the Tshwane municipality not to appeal a high court ruling which dismissed its application to have private firefighting services operating in the capital deemed illegal. The city recently took Fidelity Secure and the Sinoville Firefighters’ Association to court in an attempt to have their private fire brigades declared unlawful. The High Court in Pretoria dismissed the application, noting that there is currently no legislation regulating or prohibiting private firefighting entities.

The City of Tshwane Municipality is in the spotlight again for its battle with the Afrikaner-only settlement, Kleinfontein. The municipality denied that it is unfairly targeting the whites-only town by hiking its rates bill. The municipality said that it only wants what is due to it and has increased the rates bill from R50,000 to R2 million per month. It said that it is only following a court order.

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ANC defends approach to hijacked buildings, slams Mashaba's claims of criminal deals

The South African Police Service allegedly arrested dozens of City of Tshwane employees for trying to steal transformers at a substation. The incident occurred at the Laudium Substation on 27 November 2024. Police were summoned to the scene, where heavy-duty trucks, including a crane, and vehicles registered to the Tshwane Metro Police Department were present. The police received a tip-off from community members just as some transformers were already loaded onto council trucks.

The City of Tshwane restored the power to Weskoppies hospitals on 6 May 2025, less than 24 hours after the City of Tshwane disconnected the electricity because of an outstanding electricity bill. The hospital owed R1.2 million in outstanding bills for March and April 2025. A video of municipal workers disconnecting the electricity went viral, and South Africans criticised the mayor for disconnecting the hospital's power.

Source: Briefly News