UBUYILE UGESI eMAYIBUYE

Electricity Restored in Mayibuye After a Week of Darkness

There was a wave of relief and celebration in Mayibuye, also known as Cormmecia, as electricity was finally restored on Friday, 04 July 2025. AA

The power had been off for nearly a week after City Power made the decision to suspend services to the area, citing safety concerns and rampant illegal connections.

The outage, which began on Friday, 27 June, had triggered intense frustration in the community, leading to protest action on Monday morning, 30 June 2025. Modderfontein Road was blocked with burning tyres and rocks as residents demanded the restoration of electricity and condemned what they viewed as collective punishment by the utility.

City Power had issued a stern statement explaining that their technicians were held hostage and threatened during recent operations in Mayibuye, making it unsafe for them to continue working in the area. The utility also highlighted the large number of tampered meters and illegal connections that contributed to repeated network failures and outages.

Despite the chaos earlier in the week, calm was restored by midweek after engagements between community leaders and City Power officials. It is believed that an agreement was reached that allowed safe access for technicians and committed to cooperation in addressing the illegal connections.

By Friday afternoon, the lights were back on, prompting joy and gratitude from residents and business owners alike.

“We are happy to finally have electricity again. It has not been easy without power, especially for our children in this cold weather,” said one local resident.

City Power has reiterated that while the power has been restored, a full audit of meters in the area will still be conducted, and any further acts of sabotage or intimidation will lead to similar action in the future.