JOHANNESBURG – An armed hijacking of City Power contractors in Alexandra has again highlighted how crime is disrupting service delivery in Johannesburg, with technicians increasingly forced to abandon work under dangerous conditions, delaying electricity restoration for affected communities.
The latest incident, which took place on Friday, 10 April, saw five armed suspects hijack a contractor’s vehicle while teams were working to secure critical electricity infrastructure in Alexandra. The contractors, who were reinforcing mini-substations as part of an anti-vandalism programme, were confronted at gunpoint and robbed of their vehicle and equipment, including tools and a generator.
Speaking to Our City News, the entity’s spokesperson, Isaac Mangena, said the attack not only endangered workers but also undermined efforts to stabilise electricity supply in high-risk areas already affected by infrastructure theft and vandalism.
Part of wider crime wave targeting technicians
“The incident forms part of a broader pattern of criminality targeting technicians and contractors across the city,” he said.
Although only two robbery incidents have been officially recorded by the entity since January, Mangena said the reality on the ground is far more severe. Workers have faced intimidation, attempted attacks, hijackings, and, in some cases, have been held hostage while carrying out their duties.
Service delivery grinds to a halt
He added that the direct consequence of these incidents is a slowdown in service delivery.
“When teams are threatened or attacked, they are immediately withdrawn from sites for safety reasons, bringing fault-finding and repair work to a halt,” said Mangena.
He pointed to an earlier incident on 7 March in Coronationville, where technicians responding to an outage were threatened at gunpoint and forced to abandon their work.
“Repairs were delayed for days, with electricity only restored once it was safe for teams to return,” he said.
Mangena stressed that such disruptions can lead to delays ranging from several hours to multiple days, depending on the severity of the threat. In extreme cases, services may be suspended entirely until security conditions improve.
Communities bear the brunt
A Community Policing Forum (CPF) member in Alexandra, who asked not to be named due to safety concerns, said the situation is worsening and directly affecting residents.
“Criminals are targeting these teams because they know they carry equipment and vehicles. But when the workers leave, it’s the community that suffers the most, even when community members know who is committing the crime, these crimes, they are scared to say who they are,” the CPF member said.
“You can go for days without electricity because technicians are scared to come back. Even when they do return, they need escorts, which slows everything down. The delays create frustration, and sometimes that anger is misdirected at the same workers who are trying to help.”
Several areas across Johannesburg have been identified as hotspots for such attacks, including parts of the inner city such as Hillbrow, Malvern, Jeppestown, and George Goch, as well as Westbury, Roodepoort, Eldorado Park, Lenasia, and sections of Alexandra. Informal settlements across the City have also been flagged as high-risk.
City Power implements safety measures
In response, City Power said that it has implemented a range of safety measures aimed at protecting its employees while maintaining operations. These include deploying security escorts, both private and law enforcement, for technicians working in high-risk areas.
The entity said it is working closely with the South African Police Service (SAPS), Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), and Public Order Policing units to secure work sites and respond to incidents. It is also part of joint operational structures such as the Non-Ferrous Metals Crime Combating Committee.
City Power has also adopted a risk-based operational approach, which allows teams to withdraw immediately when threats are detected and only return once it is safe to do so. While necessary, this approach inevitably affects turnaround times for restoring electricity.
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Mangena said the entity is strengthening community partnerships through its Community Partnership Programme, which encourages residents, businesses, and local security structures to help protect electricity infrastructure and report suspicious activity. More than 800 agreements have already been signed under the initiative.
Despite these interventions, challenges remain. No arrests have yet been made in connection with the recent Alexandra hijacking.
City Power has warned that if such incidents persist, it may be forced to suspend operations in high-risk areas, a move that would have severe implications for already struggling communities.
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- This story was produced by Our City News, a non-profit newsroom that serves the people of Johannesburg.
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