Alberton Residents in the Dark

The blame for the prolonged and repeated power outages that have plunged thousands of residents in northern Alberton into total darkness for more than a week can be laid squarely on the shoulders of the incompetent ANC/EFF coalition government.

This situation borders on the dereliction of the duty to provide basic services and is simply unacceptable.

The devastating fire on 20 January 2026 at the Z9 (Padstow) substation not only caused extensive damage, but also triggered a chain reaction of problems including theft, vandalism and faulty transformers that exacerbated the crisis.

Residents of Alberton North, Florentia and surrounding areas were without power for eight days. Power supply was briefly restored, but was soon interrupted again.

Even after so-called “repairs” were done, households in Radio and Jacobs Street still do not have electricity and were not provided with a clear explanation or timeline.

This is not just a technical fault. The utter lack of transparent and timely communication with councillors and the public is scandalous. Residents are literally and figuratively kept in the dark, while the Metro makes vague promises and constantly adjusts timelines.

Ekurhuleni has to take immediate, decisive action to resolve the unacceptably poor communication regarding Alberton’s power outages. Residents are currently in the dark about which areas are affected and when repairs are expected to be completed.

The Metro is obliged to publish transparent and detailed maps and lists of all affected areas, along with reliable and binding repair timelines for each area – no more excuses or shifting deadlines.

Furthermore, security officers should be deployed at once to prevent vandals from exploiting these crises. And then a comprehensive plan to stabilise Alberton’s electricity infrastructure should also urgently be implemented.

This plan should prioritise the replacement of ageing and dangerous equipment at substations to ensure sustainable and reliable service delivery. Residents deserve transparency, security and a reliable electricity network.

Ekurhuleni residents pay for services and deserve consistent electricity supply – not constant power outages and misleading promises or total silence from the Metro.

The Freedom Front Plus will keep pursuing the matter and monitoring the situation daily until concrete, lasting remedial steps are implemented.

Freedom Front Plus Voter Base: The party’s voter base is concentrated in the Western Cape, Gauteng, and Free State.

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