ActionSA Johannesburg Calls for Urgent Action After CBD Transformer Fire
Press Statement by Cllr Themba Mabunda
ActionSA Joburg Regional Chairperson
This morning’s transformer fire at the corner of Bree and Harrison Streets is the latest warning sign of a tailing electricity network in Johannesburg. Although the fire was contained and no injuries were reported, it follows a transformer explosion in New Doornfontein that caused serious injuries and property damage, raising urgent concerns about public safety.
These incidents are occurring in areas where residents and businesses have long experienced unstable electricity supply, repeated outages, and delayed maintenance responses. pointing to a broader failure to identify and address high-risk infrastructure before risks lives and livelihood.
ActionSA Johannesburg is therefore calling for two immediate interventions. An independent technical audit of City Power’s transformer and substation network, prioritising high-density areas such as the CBD, Braamfontein, and Newtown; and the establishment of a publicly accessible risk register identifying infrastructure flagged for urgent maintenance or replacement, with clear timelines and budget allocations.
City Power’s maintenance backlog is widely acknowledged. What remains absent is transparency on which assets pose the greatest danger, how those risks are being managed, and who is accountable when preventable failures occur. An independent audit would establish the technical facts, while a public risk register would enable residents, businesses, and emergency services to understand risk exposure and hold the City to delivery commitments.
ActionSA will engage branch structures, business forums, and residents’ associations to document repeat failures and escalate these through ActionSA Joburg Caucus
ActionSA Johannesburg Calls for Urgent Action After CBD Transformer Fire
This morning’s transformer fire at the corner of Bree and Harrison Streets is the latest warning sign of a tailing electricity network in Johannesburg. Although the fire was contained and no injuries were reported, it follows a transformer explosion in New Doornfontein that caused serious injuries and property damage, raising urgent concerns about public safety.
These incidents are occurring in areas where residents and businesses have long experienced unstable electricity supply, repeated outages, and delayed maintenance responses. pointing to a broader failure to identify and address high-risk infrastructure before risks lives and livelihood.
ActionSA Johannesburg is therefore calling for two immediate interventions. An independent technical audit of City Power’s transformer and substation network, prioritising high-density areas such as the CBD, Braamfontein, and Newtown; and the establishment of a publicly accessible risk register identifying infrastructure flagged for urgent maintenance or replacement, with clear timelines and budget allocations.
City Power’s maintenance backlog is widely acknowledged. What remains absent is transparency on which assets pose the greatest danger, how those risks are being managed, and who is accountable when preventable failures occur. An independent audit would establish the technical facts, while a public risk register would enable residents, businesses, and emergency services to understand risk exposure and hold the City to delivery commitments.
ActionSA will engage branch structures, business forums, and residents’ associations to document repeat failures and escalate these through ActionSA Joburg Caucus