City Power Appeals for Community Support to Stop Vandalism in Lombardy East and Alexandra

Johannesburg, City Power is urging community members, patrollers, and law enforcement agencies to assist in curbing a surge in vandalism targeting critical electricity infrastructure in Lombardy East and parts of Alexandra.

The utility says it recorded at least four incidents of transformer vandalism in July alone, leading to widespread and prolonged power outages for both residents and businesses.

“Over the past two weeks, various parts of Lombardy East have experienced repeated outages,” said City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena. “Just last Friday, power was restored, only for another act of vandalism to occur over the weekend at the Gresswold substation. This latest incident affected customers along Hennie, Byron, Victoria, and Wellington roads. The outage was caused by a burnt main circuit breaker, a direct result of sabotage.”

Mangena confirmed that technicians are working tirelessly to complete repairs and restore electricity.

Beyond the inconvenience, Mangena noted the high financial toll of the damage. “Each transformer costs between R800,000 and R1.2 million to replace, excluding labour and installation,” he said. “In just two months, we’ve spent over R3 million replacing mini substations that exploded due to overloading.”

As part of its response, City Power has launched operations to remove illegal electricity connections, beginning with an informal settlement along London Road. According to Mangena, these illegal connections are contributing to ongoing power trips in the area.

City Power is calling for greater vigilance and community cooperation to protect infrastructure and ensure stable electricity supply.