City Power to Begin Repairs on Central Substation Following Clearing of Smoke
Johannesburg – City Power has informed that repairs to the damaged sections of the Central Substation are expected to commence tomorrow, Monday, 28 September 2026.
The underground fire, which filled the tunnels with smoke, was reported yesterday, Saturday, 26 September 2026.
RELATED: Central Substation Catches Fire Again Before Previous Repairs Were Finalized – The Bulrushes
City Power stated that its technical teams will investigate the cause of the fire at Central Substation once the smoke dissipates from the underground cable tunnels.
“The initial evaluation indicates that infrastructure, including cables and the feederboard, was damaged during the incident, leading to a power outage that affected customers in Marshalltown and nearby areas of the Johannesburg CBD,” City Power mentioned in a statement provided to The Bulrushes.
“The incident was reportedly caused by suspected cable theft and vandalism in the underground tunnels close to Central Substation.”
“A suspect, thought to be involved with an organized crime group targeting electrical infrastructure in the tunnels, sustained serious injuries during the incident and is currently in police custody in a hospital.”
Johannesburg Emergency Management Services (EMS) remained on the scene after the incident, and access to the tunnels has been restricted due to ongoing smoke and safety issues.
With the smoke now cleared, City Power indicated that specialized investigation teams were finally able to examine the affected infrastructure to evaluate the damage and determine the necessary repairs.
EMS is expected to hand over the site to City Power’s technical teams.
“The primary focus is to carry out a thorough assessment of the damaged infrastructure, including the feederboard, cables, and related components, establish the scope of repairs, and begin the insurance claims process,” the statement elaborated.
“These activities will guide the restoration plan and the materials and equipment needed for repairs.”
City Power noted that the estimated time for restoration would only be ascertained after these assessments are completed.
In the meantime, City Power is also investigating alternative electricity supply options to potentially restore power to some affected customers while investigations and repairs at Central Substation continue.
City Power Acting Chief Executive Officer Charles Tlouane conveyed that the assessment and insurance procedures are essential steps for beginning repairs.
Acting CEO Tlouane stated that comprehensive repair work is anticipated to kick off on Monday, 28 September 2026.
“Our teams must first determine the extent of the damage to the burnt infrastructure and initiate the insurance claims process,” Tlouane said.
“We expect that repair work will start on Monday once these initial procedures are addressed.
“However, we are committed to reducing the inconvenience for our customers.
“Therefore, our team is exploring alternative supply arrangements to see if we can restore power to certain sections of the area while the main repair operations begin.”
While City Power has expressed regret for the disruption faced by affected clients, CEO Tlouane pointed out that the issue of organized crime targeting electricity supply has been brought to the attention of the police “with the hope that they will help address this ongoing issue.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, with vandalism and theft being strongly suspected.
City Power continues to encourage residents and businesses to report any suspicious activities around electricity infrastructure to City Power Security Risk Management at 011 490 7900 or 011 490 7911, or via WhatsApp at 083 579 4497.
For isolated outages and other electricity-related inquiries, customers are advised to log calls on citypower.mobi or contact 011 490 7484 / 0800 202 925.