City Power plans to give 5 Alexandra informal settlements formal access to electricity
City Power reveals that five informal settlements in Alexandra will benefit from the city's plans to give informal settlements formal access to electricity. During the Johannesburg State of the City Address on May 7, Johannesburg Executive Mayor Dada Morero reaffirmed the city's commitment to providing informal settlements with legal electricity access, announcing a R296m allocation to connect communities to the grid.
Read more: Technicians held hostage as Vezinyawo residents demand electricity
Morero explained that: 'The initiative will provide safe and legal electricity access to thousands of households, integrating them into the urban energy system and laying the groundwork for service upgrades and formalisation,'
According to City Power's general manager in the Department of Public Relations and Communications Isaac Mangena, five informal settlements in Alexandra are set to benefit from the city's informal settlement electrification plan, including Alex Ward 107 informal settlement, Iphutheng School informal settlement, Triangle informal settlement, Vukani informal settlement, and Vezinyawo.
'The City of Johannesburg's Department of Human Settlements develops an upgrade of informal settlements programme (UISP) business plan for each financial year. This business plan will inform which informal settlements will be electrified, and the number of dwellings that will be provided with electrical services,' Mangena noted.
Also read: City Power warns customers of call centre downtime
Last month, City Power conducted a cut-off operation in Greenville informal settlement, noting that the area has been identified as a hotspot for illegal connections. In 2024, City Power confiscated over 10 000kg of illegally connected cables, a figure that doubled to 20 000kg by 2025. However, Greenville did not feature on the list of informal settlements suitable for electrification.
'It is important to note that not all areas currently occupied by residents are suitable for electrification, or even residential habitation. Several of these locations are established on land that is either unsafe, not zoned for residential use, or lacks the necessary bulk infrastructure to connect to the grid,' Mangena stated. He explained that when assessing the suitability of an informal settlement for electrification, they consider land use policies, safety standards, and technical feasibility.
The utility reaffirmed its commitment to expanding access to electricity, even in informal settlements, but, Mangena noted that it should be: 'Pursued in a structured, co-ordinated manner that ensures safety, sustainability, and long-term viability.'
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Related article: 63 illegal connections disconnected by City Power
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