Cape Town – City Power has reiterated its commitment to uprooting corruption and safeguarding Johannesburg’s electricity network, following the arrest of three of its own employees.
According to Eyewitness News, the workers were apprehended earlier this year after allegedly tampering with critical infrastructure by cutting through core copper cables in Ruimsig, Roodepoort.
The incident caused significant disruptions and highlighted ongoing challenges of sabotage and cable theft.
As stated by City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena, acts of sabotage — whether carried out by criminal syndicates or employees — undermine service delivery and punish paying customers who already endure frequent outages.
“We really cannot and will not allow criminals, whether external syndicates or our own employees, to sabotage our network and undermine the service delivery efforts we are making for the paying customers,” Mangena said. He added that the Ruimsig area has experienced repeated vandalism and theft, leading to prolonged blackouts that frustrate residents and businesses.
The reaffirmation by City Power comes at a time when the utility has been under pressure to tighten its governance and rebuild trust with the public.
As reported by Central News, the arrests are part of a broader crackdown against internal misconduct, which has seen several employees suspended or dismissed in recent months. The publication noted that Ruimsig residents expressed anger after being left without power for extended periods, with some blaming poor oversight for enabling cable theft to flourish.
Corruption and infrastructure sabotage have long plagued Johannesburg’s power supply.
According to The Citizen, City Power has launched multiple internal investigations in recent years, leading to the dismissal of workers implicated in fraud, theft, and dishonesty.
In July, the Hawks also confirmed a visit to City Power’s headquarters linked to alleged irregular contracts, although the utility insisted it was not a raid but part of broader inquiries into possible financial misconduct.
The utility has repeatedly said it is determined to defend its network against both external and internal threats. Mangena emphasised that law enforcement agencies and private security companies would continue to work alongside City Power to curb theft and vandalism, while disciplinary action will remain in place for staff members implicated in wrongdoing.
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Compiled by Lisabeal Nqamqhele
