City Power says electricity to Joburg CBD should be fully restored on Saturday

JOHANNESBURG - As some parts of the Johannesburg CBD spend almost two weeks in the dark, City Power said it should be able to fully restore power on Saturday afternoon.

The utility has been facing challenges in restoring electricity supply to some parts of Braamfontein and its surrounding areas following an underground fire on the M1.

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On Workers' Day, thousands of residents were plunged into darkness in the inner city after the fire destroyed underground electricity cables.

City Power has faced multiple setbacks in restoring power to Braamfontein, including a faulty connection that left residents in the dark once again.

The utility said it managed to turn the lights back on in Parktown and a small section of Braamfontein, but it plans to switch on more customers.

It said its focus was to restore power to Jorrisen Street, De Korte, Juta, and Siemens, where thousands of students and the University of the Witwatersrand are located.

The fire on the M1, that resulted in the widespread outage, was as a result of theft and vandalism.

City Power said it's working around the clock to ensure all the affected areas have electricity.