Power Outage Enters Day 12 as Grey Street Trenching Continues

Latest Repairs Still Underway in Grey Street, Queens Drive and Surrounding Areas

Komani’s ongoing power outage — now entering Day 12 for parts of the CBD — continues to place severe strain on residents and businesses as trenching and cable replacement work remains in progress.

Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality issued a fresh update on Tuesday, confirming that digging for the Grey Street and Queens Drive trench is still underway, while the laying of a new underground cable is scheduled for tomorrow.

According to the municipality’s notice, teams are also attending to an additional low-voltage (LV) fault affecting Prince Alfred Street, adding yet another layer of complexity to the already prolonged outage.

The current affected areas include:

• Grey Street

• Queens Drive

• Prince Alfred Street

• Ebden Street

Residents and businesses in these zones have faced repeated interruptions, with many reporting that the outage has severely impacted daily operations.

Businesses Struggling as Outage Drags On

A business owner in the Grey Street area told Komani News the outage had become “unbearable,” explaining that running generators for almost two weeks was financially draining and unsustainable. They said the outage had already cost their business thousands of rands, with productivity severely affected.

With the trenches now stretching across several blocks, locals have described the area as looking “like a warzone,” with the streets dug up and lined with soil while workers continue to excavate and prepare for cable installation.

Municipal Update: Work Ongoing

In its latest official communication, Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality stated:

“Digging of the trench for Grey Street and Queens Drive is still in progress. Laying of the cable is scheduled for tomorrow. Please note that our team is attending to the other LV fault in Prince Alfred Street.”
Issued by: Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality

This follows an earlier update indicating that the old cable route encountered concrete structures and business activity, prompting the municipality to install a new 410-metre cable from the Library Substation to the Grey Street mini-substation.

Residents Await Restoration

While the municipality apologised for the inconvenience, no exact restoration timeframe has been confirmed, leaving affected residents and business owners frustrated and anxious for a resolution.