Residents took to the streets on 19 September to demand restoration to their electricity.
This comes after the Roosevelt Substation caught fire due to a cable fault at 11.15am on 18 September.
While electricity was restored shortly afterwards to several suburbs, some suburbs are still without power.
Residents protested en masse on Beyers Naudé Drive the day afterwards, and paid regular visits to the substation to check on the matter, as late as 8pm.
City Power spokesperson Sydney Mphahlele could not be immediately reached for comment, but City Power stated on Twitter around 5pm on 19 September, that repairs were done, but “while they were doing trip testing termination blew on temporary feeder board”.
#Poweroutagejhb Roosevelt Park S/S 1/1: Repairs were done, while they were doing trip testing termination blew on temporary feeder board.
— @CityPowerJhb (@CityPowerJhb) September 19, 2015
A latter tweet said that City Power would advise residents on the “new restoration time once they have detyermined the extent of the damage”.
#Poweroutagejhb Roosevelt Park S/S : We will advise on the new restoration time once they have detyermined the extent of the damage.
— @CityPowerJhb (@CityPowerJhb) September 19, 2015
Ward 88 councillor Pat Richards explained that if it was not for “cables blowing”, all suburbs supplied by the station would have power now.
The cables blew, however, and the contractor returned to the site to restore power.
According to Richards, the contractor saw a myriad of protesters, and feeling threatened, turned his car around.
He will apparently return to work at the substation on 20 September, but a feeder board will be used to restore power some time during the night on 19 September, depending on the required load.
“It is shoddy work,” Richards said.
