By JD GLOBAL MEDIA
City Power has confirmed that the underground fire that has left large parts of Johannesburg's central business district without electricity was caused by cable tampering, and the utility now suspects a criminal syndicate is behind at least three incidents at the same critical facility in recent weeks.
The fire broke out at the Central Substation in Marshalltown early on Saturday, 26 September 2026, leaving approximately 14,800 customers in the CBD and surrounding areas without electricity. As of Tuesday, 29 September, City Power said it could not confirm when supply would be restored, with large parts of the inner city facing a sixth consecutive day in the dark.
A Substation Repeatedly Targeted
The Saturday fire was not an isolated incident. City Power has reported multiple fires at the same Central Substation in recent weeks. The most recent blaze caused the latest outage just one day after electricity had been restored following a two-week-long blackout in the same area that had resulted from an earlier fire.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said on Saturday that the utility had restored about 98 percent of the network affected by the previous fire by Friday, only to be hit by another blaze less than 24 hours later.
While the utility initially stated that the cause of the latest fire was not yet known, a subsequent investigation on Monday revealed evidence of cable tampering and vandalism. According to City Power, technical teams working in the underground tunnels discovered tools and indications that copper cables had been cut.
City Power then indicated it now suspects organised crime syndicates are involved in a coordinated effort to target the utility's electricity infrastructure.
A Suspect Burned in the Blaze
A person who was allegedly involved in the tampering was badly burnt in the fire and remains in critical condition in hospital under police guard. According to reports, the suspect was caught inside the substation when the fire broke out.
The suspect's identity has not been publicly released, and police have not confirmed what charges he may face. It also remains unclear whether the suspect is linked to the previous incidents at the same facility.
City Power has asked the public to stay away from the substation while repairs and the criminal investigation continue. The utility has not stated whether it believes the sabotage was the work of employees or external criminal networks.
The Broader Infrastructure Threat
The Johannesburg incident comes against a wider pattern of infrastructure sabotage and vandalism affecting electricity and rail networks across South Africa.
Transnet Freight Rail reported a steep increase in cable theft and vandalism affecting its rail corridors, with hundreds of incidents recorded in the 2024/25 financial year. These crimes disrupt rail freight services, force more cargo onto trucks, and add substantial costs to state-owned logistics operators.
In a related development in Mpumalanga in September 2026, police arrested 21 suspects during an illicit mining operation in Pilgrim's Rest. All 21 were foreign nationals lacking valid documentation authorising them to be in South Africa. Police confiscated gold-bearing material, phendukas, electric motors, and other equipment believed to have been used in illegal mining activities.
While the Johannesburg substation case concerns the targeting of urban electrical infrastructure rather than mining operations, both point to the disruptive impact of organised crime and unregulated activities on South Africa's essential networks.
What the Power Outage Means for Residents and Businesses
The extended outage has left residents and businesses in Johannesburg's inner city without electricity for most of the past two weeks. The CBD and Marshalltown are home to thousands of businesses, including small shops and informal traders who rely on refrigeration, lighting, and card-payment systems. For an economy where township and informal businesses are heavily dependent on cash flows, even a short interruption can wipe out daily earnings.
Some residents reported that food had spoiled and that they had been unable to charge phones or access water, since municipal pumping stations are also affected by electricity interruptions. The city has not announced any specific relief measures or compensation for affected ratepayers.
City Power has not published a detailed restoration timeline. The utility has said it is considering alternative methods to supply electricity to some customers while repairs continue.
City Power's Response and Operational Challenges
City Power has been under significant pressure to restore supply, with the utility acknowledging that the repeated fires at the same site are part of a wider investigation.
In an earlier statement, Mangena said the utility was looking at "other alternatives that are around so that at least some of the customers that are fed from the central substation can return back to normal even while the work is continuing". However, no concrete timeframe has been provided.
The utility has also resumed repairs at the Central Substation, with City Power asking people to keep away from the site on Monday. Technical teams have been inspecting and replacing damaged underground cables since the site was declared safe.
It is not known whether the utility believes it has sufficient spare cable stock and switchgear on hand to complete the repairs. City Power has not confirmed the cost of the damage or how long the investigation is expected to take.
What Remains Unclear
Several key questions remain unanswered. Police have not confirmed whether the suspect in hospital is an employee of City Power or an external criminal. They have also not identified any other suspects.
City Power has not stated whether it has credible evidence of a syndicate structure, or whether the phrase "syndicate" refers to coordinated criminal activity by an unknown number of individuals. The precise timeline of the previous two fires at the same substation also remains unclear, as City Power has described them only as occurring "in recent weeks".
It remains unknown how many businesses have been affected, whether any injuries occurred beyond the suspected vandal, and whether the repeated fires have affected surrounding infrastructure such as water pumping stations and street lighting.
The broader national impact of infrastructure sabotage remains a matter of continuing policy debate, but there is no public national data yet on how many substation incidents occur each year across the country.
What Happens Next
City Power has begun staged repairs at the Central Substation, but it has not provided a deadline for restoration. Residents and businesses in Marshalltown and surrounding areas should expect continued outages until repairs are completed and the network is tested.
The injured suspect remains under police guard in hospital, and criminal charges against him are expected to be formalised once he is medically stable. The South African Police Service has not announced further arrests, but investigations into the suspected syndicate are ongoing.
The latest incident will intensify scrutiny of City Power's ability to protect its infrastructure from theft and sabotage. The utility has previously indicated that copper cable theft and vandalism are chronic problems across its network, and the recurrence of fires at a single critical facility is likely to raise questions about physical security arrangements and maintenance standards.
For Johannesburg's inner city, the immediate priority is the restoration of power. The longer-term question is whether South Africa's municipalities can safeguard the infrastructure their residents and businesses depend on.
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