Blackouts Continue as Municipality Heads Toward Elections

Komani residents across multiple suburbs have endured nearly a week of rolling electricity outages since Thursday, 12 February, as repeated cable faults and substation trips disrupted supply across large parts of town.

A series of updates issued by Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality over the past several days paint a picture of a power network under strain, with technicians moving between mini substations, underground cables and major infrastructure points in an effort to stabilise supply.

With municipal elections expected later this year, service delivery challenges are once again firmly in the spotlight.

Thursday, 12 February – Weather-Related Outages

The first outages were attributed to adverse weather conditions. Areas including Komani Park, Queensview Park, Army Base, Sandringham and Laurie Dashwood were initially affected.

Power was restored to some of these suburbs, but technicians were dispatched to Westbourne, Amberdale, Kings Park, Horizon View and Madeira Park where supply remained interrupted.

Residents were advised to contact the municipal 24-hour call centre if power had not returned.

Friday – Mini Substation Switched Off

The situation escalated when the Kingsway mini substation was switched off as a precautionary measure to inspect a possible fault. This interruption affected Frontier Hospital, Hangklip, Livingstone Road, Berry Street, Frost Street, Windsor and Bersig.

At the same time, the Alexander Substation experienced interruptions impacting Nonesi Mall, Bells Road, Bhede, Owen Street, Westbourne, West Hof, Amberdale and parts of the CBD.

Municipal teams began fault-finding operations across multiple feeders.

Weekend – Cable Faults Confirmed

Further testing confirmed multiple underground cable faults in Top Town.

A cable between Kingsway mini substation and Sads substation was found to be faulty, affecting Livingstone Road, Frost Street and Berry Street. Another cable fault between Queens Junior and Kingsway mini substation disrupted supply to Bersig, Windsor and Balmoral.

Pressure testing and “thumping” procedures were conducted to determine the exact points of failure.

Municipal updates later confirmed that an approximately 150-metre section of older cable between the Sads and Frontier substations required replacement. Trenching work began, but bad weather temporarily forced teams to withdraw from site.

Alternative Feeder Tested – Further Faults Emerge

Technicians attempted to energise affected areas using an alternative feeder cable while permanent repairs were prepared. However, additional faults were detected on the alternative line, requiring further exposure and joint repairs.

At one stage, power was restored to most of Top Town, but a portion near Frontier Hospital remained without supply due to a separate cable fault between Frontier Hospital and Queens College.

Western Substation Trips, Outages Widen

The pressure on the network intensified when faults triggered the Western Substation to trip, expanding outages to additional areas feeding from that substation.

Affected suburbs included portions of the CBD, Nonesi Mall, Central, Bhede, Amberdale, Westbourne, Madeira Park, Kings Park and Horizon View.

In Bergsig, an overhead line fault further complicated restoration efforts.

A subsequent investigation by a protection specialist identified a faulty Neutral Earth Compensator at the Western Substation. The municipality confirmed that the component needs to be replaced and that it is being sourced from suppliers.

Power restoration to all affected areas depends on the acquisition and installation of this specialised unit, alongside ongoing overhead line repairs behind Hangklip High School.

Ongoing Repairs Across Multiple Areas

Additional faults were reported in parts of New Valley, Komani Park and New Rest, where cable repairs and testing have also been underway.

Municipal teams remain deployed across various sites, isolating affected areas and attempting to stabilise supply while longer-term repairs continue.

The municipality has indicated that there are no major technical issues beyond the identified faulty components, but repeated trips and cable failures have prolonged the instability.

Patience Urged as Repairs Continue

For residents and businesses — particularly those in the CBD and around Nonesi Mall — the repeated interruptions have caused inconvenience and economic strain.

While frustration is evident among many households, technicians have been working continuously to locate faults, replace damaged sections and restore supply where possible.

With municipal elections anticipated later this year, infrastructure reliability and service delivery are likely to remain central issues for voters.

In the meantime, residents are encouraged to report outages through official municipal channels and to exercise caution when using alternative power sources during extended blackouts.

Komani News will continue to monitor updates from Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality and provide verified information as developments unfold.