Latest news with #Mangena
The Citizen
13 hours ago
- The Citizen
River Park without electricity after clash with City Power technicians
City Power cut off the electricity supply to River Park in Alexandra, plunging the entire community into darkness. This comes after community members resisted City Power's scheduled meter audit and disconnection operation in the area on May 28. Read more: River Park residents resist City Powers cut-off operation The utility's spokesperson Isaac Mangena said that their cut-off operation, which was held in collaboration with the police, JMPD and contracted security personnel, targeted 470 households with zero recorded electricity purchases, and 367 customers with low vending patterns, 'indicative of meter tampering.' However, their scheduled operation was met with resistance when angry residents staged a protest, threatening and nearly holding their team hostage. Mangena noted that as tensions escalated, they had to swiftly withdraw the operation and resorted to disconnecting the whole area. 'We have repeatedly cautioned River Park residents that continued defiance, interference, and resistance to lawful operations would result in a total supply disconnection,' he said. 'However, those warnings have been met with contempt. Today's actions have forced us to act decisively.' Mangena said it was not the first time River Park residents had acted 'unlawfully and aggressively.' He added it occurred on May 28, when residents staged a protest at the Alexandra Service Delivery Centre after the utility disconnected nine properties found to have connected illegally to the grid. He said that earlier this year, individuals masquerading as community representatives had violently disrupted their smart meter rollout operation. Also read: City Power plans to give 5 Alexandra informal settlements formal access to electricity In their defence, residents argued that they were resisting the utility's operation because City Power did not tell them about its plan to disconnect their electricity. They also stressed that City Power was in breach of the agreement they had on May 28, that the utility would not cut off their electricity at least until June 9, when City Power technicians come to normalise the meters in the area. City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava said that the utility had a contractual relationship with verified individual account holders, not a group of people who they couldn't ascertain if they were customers or not. 'We urge those registered customers who have been affected by the power supply cut-off to visit our SDC on an individual basis so that we can resolve their queries separately. All others will remain disconnected until they allow us to audit and normalise meters in the area,' she noted. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! Related article: City Power timelines for addressing power issues At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
30-05-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
‘I want to be with the people': Limpopo mayor resigns
Many in the ANC suspected that Mangena might have felt frustrated by ANC politics of slates Former Greater Tzaneen local municipality mayor Maripe Mangena has resigned. Mangena, who was a PR councillor representing the municipality at the Mopani district municipality in Limpopo, tendered his resignation this week. The resignation letter was noted by the ANC-led council during a council sitting at the municipal chamber on Thursday. His resignation comes after the current Mopani district municipality mayor, Pule Shayi, snubbed him during his appointment of councillors three and a half years ago. Shayi won the Norman Mashabane ANC regional elective conference a fortnight ago. Mangena did not endorse Shayi at the conference. He instead supported another slate, which was opposed to Shayi's candidature for a third term. Tension Many in the ANC suspected that Mangena might have felt frustrated by ANC politics of slates, which he was allegedly opposed to. 'We are not all President Cyril Ramaphosa. Ramaphosa forgave former Limpopo Premier Stan Mathabatha for betraying him at the 55th ANC national elective conference on 19 December 2022. 'When many called for Mathabatha's axing, the president did not act. Instead, he continued to give him [Mathabatha] a second chance to finish his term. 'Matamela [Cyril] went on to appoint Mathabatha as Deputy Minister for Land Reform and Rural Development under his Cabinet in 2024. It must be a lesson to every politician in South Africa that no leader wants to hunt with another man's dogs. 'For sure, Mangena felt he could not continue working with a man he differed with politically for the next three years. The same goes for Shayi, he may not have been comfortable working with a man who continued showing him the middle finger,' said a municipal employee at the Mopani district municipality, who asked to speak on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak with the media on the matter. Shayi was not available for comment as he was allegedly in a meeting. ALSO READ: Third Term' slate shines at Limpopo ANC elective conference 'I want to be with the people' While Mangena told The Citizen that his resignation had not yet been processed, municipal spokesperson Neville Ndlala said the resignation was noted and accepted by council on Thursday. ANC regional spokesperson Peter Ngobeni, quoted Mangena as saying: 'I want to be with the people in their daily struggles and to freely be part of their efforts for the improvement of their lives' NOW READ: Mopani water crisis sparks control call from Tzaneen mayor
The Citizen
18-05-2025
- The Citizen
City Power is monitoring this weak spot to stop power outages from theft
The utility said the full restoration of the M1 bridge line is expected on Sunday evening. City Power's repairs to cables under the M1 highway bridge in Johannesburg are nearing completion, but have been hit with at least two incidents of vandalism in less than a week. Cable theft last May sparked a fire in the tunnel under the bridge, which damaged key infrastructure, cut the power supply, and covered the CBD in smoke. As of Saturday, three 400-metre high-voltage cables had been replaced, and six high-integrity joints had been installed. The utility said full restoration is expected on Sunday evening. 63 meters of cable were stolen from the M1 corridor earlier this month, with another 80 meters of earthing wire stolen last Sunday. On Wednesday, a suspect was caught near a tunnel entrance with 20 pieces of stolen earthing conductor. 'These essential safety components provide grounding for high-voltage networks, ensuring fault currents dissipate safely and maintaining grid stability. 'Their removal jeopardises safe operations, requiring extensive rework and system testing before energisation proceeds,' explained City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena. ALSO READ: Dozens of Eskom transformers are being stolen, police make key arrest Weak spot identified by City Power Mangena said the utility had ramped up surveillance and patrols, especially near manholes. The holes have been found to be vulnerable and are an increasingly common way to get access to cables. 'Preliminary findings suggest increasing instances of unauthorised access to the tunnel network, particularly through unsecured manholes, highlighting a broader security vulnerability that City Power and its partners are urgently working to address.' This was shown in another incident in the Joburg CBD on Thursday, when a 26-year-old homeless Malawian national reportedly breached a manhole and started hacking at cables underground. 'His arrest followed reports of distressing sounds from within the tunnel, prompting a rapid response from on-site security personnel. 'The suspect, found in possession of a hacksaw, attempted to flee but was swiftly apprehended and booked at Jeppe Police Station, where a case of tampering with critical infrastructure is being investigated,' said Mangena. The cost of cable theft In August, the utility said at least 130 people had been arrested over 12 months for theft and vandalism. Among these were City Power staff members and contractors, including security officers tasked with protecting vital infrastructure. Two months prior, it estimated the cost of losses to cable theft at R160 million for the first six months of 2024 alone. 4 633km of copper cable was stolen between the 2020 financial year to the end of October 2023. A 2023 GI-TOC report, entitled South Africa's Illicit Copper Economy, reported on the extent of cable and copper theft. 'Every day in South Africa, criminal elements strip copper from wherever they can find it, including roads, homes, construction sites, and mines. 'The theft of copper from already ailing infrastructure severely affects the capacity and operations of state-owned entities and municipalities,' it found. NOW READ: Bring in the army! City Power wants military to help fight cable theft crisis
The Citizen
13-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
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.' Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! Related article: 63 illegal connections disconnected by City Power At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
08-05-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Here's when City Power won't pay up or fix your outage
As well as the Johannesburg city by-laws, City Power derive their responsibilities from several other national directives. City Power have clarified its rights and responsibilities relating to the supply of electricity. The entity recently stated that it would not be footing the bill for the replacement of a particular section of electrical infrastructure, prompting queries from residents. City Power has since provided a detailed description of the sections of the installations and outlined the legislation that governs their interactions with electricity users. Connections in three parts City Power uses the South African National Standard (SANS) 10142 to define the sections that the service connection is divided into. The service connection is made up of three parts: the point of connection, the point of metering, and the point of control. The point of connection is where the service cable receives the electrical supply from the grid, and the point of metering is where the meter is installed. '[The point of connection] is distinguished by a switching device and is usually rated above all other succeeding breakers on the service cable,' City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena explained to The Citizen. 'Meters form an integral part of the local authority's equipment, and the consumer does not have access to or authority over this part of the service cable,' he added. City Power stated in late April that customers would be responsible for the replacement cost of the final part of the service connection should it be damaged or stolen. 'The next and very important part is the consumer's point of control. This section is sectionalised by a breaking device — circuit breaker or isolator,' said Mangena. 'These breakers are located on the property boundary, within a meter receptacle with the code name ME1/3in the City Power area of supply,' he explained. Point of control From this point onward, the consumer is responsible for maintaining and carrying out any work on the service cable. 'In paid service connections, the applicant pays City Power for infrastructure up to the point of control. Consumers are responsible for supplying the point of control breaking device and its housing,' Mangena said. He added a definition from SANS 10142, noting that a point of control could be a 'point at which a consumer can, on or in any premises, switch off the electrical installation from the electricity supplied from the point of supply.' Mangena said City Power's responsibilities to its customers were grounded in four key documents. As well as the City of Johannesburg by-laws, electricity supply is governed by Section 4 and 5 of the Electricity Regulation Act of 2006, the Municipal Systems Act of 2000 and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa's (Nersa) National Regulatory Standards (NRS) 047,048 and 049. Reliable and safe supply is covered by the city by-laws and NRS 048, while metering and billing are defined in the by-laws, NRS 047, and the Municipal Systems Act. Fault response and maintenance are covered in NRS 047 and 049, with tariffs determined by Nersa and the Electricity Regulation Act. Protecting infrastructure Residents are allowed to install protective measures up to the point of control. These measures include conduit pipes on private property, cable covers and trenched and buried cable routing at approved depths. Residents are still required to report any damage immediately to City Power and must obtain written consent from City Power for any alterations that may affect municipal infrastructure. Residents are prohibited from tampering with or working on cables outside their property or connecting to or altering City Power infrastructure without approval. The installation of makeshift protection such as steel cages, barbed wire or brackets are also prohibited, unless previously arranged with City Power. Replacing the point of control infrastructure is for the customer's account and must be done by a certified electrician. No customer may repair infrastructure up to the point of control. NOW READ: City Power will not pay to replace this cable if stolen by thieves
