FULL ELECTRICITY RESTORATION – GRADUAL PHASED PROCESS TODAY AT 20:00
Published: March 15, 2026<< BACK TO NEWS
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The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality confirms that electricity restoration to all areas affected by the recent outages, following the damage caused by three fallen pylons on the Chelsea–Arlington–Walmer–Summerstrand line, will commence today from 20:00, with gradual restoration expected to continue until 00:00.
The Electricity and Energy Directorate, together with the appointed specialist service provider, has completed all major repair work on the affected 132kV transmission infrastructure. Testing has confirmed the integrity, safety, and operational readiness of the network.
As from 20:00, the Municipality will begin the phased energisation of the electricity network. Residents are advised that it will take several hours for the power to be fully restored across all areas, as electricity is introduced gradually to ensure system stability and prevent overloads or further faults.
To ensure a safe restoration, residents and businesses are urgently requested to:
1. Disconnect all generators from internal wiring and the municipal supply
2. Switch off swimming pool pumps
3. Switch off geysers
4. Switch off electric stoves
5. Switch off all non-essential electrical equipment
These actions are critical to prevent network overloads, protect appliances, and ensure safe re-energisation. Once electricity supply is restored and stable, appliances should be reconnected gradually, starting with essential equipment only.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s Executive Mayor, Cllr Babalwa Lobishe, thanks residents for their patience and cooperation,?"Our teams have worked around the clock under challenging conditions to restore this critical infrastructure. Electricity restoration will begin at 20:00 today, and we ask residents to allow time for the gradual phased process to be completed safely across all areas."
The Member of the Mayoral Committee for Electricity and Energy, Cllr Ziyanda Mnqokoyi, also added, "Resident’s cooperation in switching off non-essential appliances and generators is crucial to prevent overloads and ensure that the network can be stabilised safely. We thank the community for their understanding and apologise for any inconveniences caused”
Residents are also urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity, vandalism, or tampering near substations or electricity infrastructure.
Report suspicious activity to 041 506 5595. Further updates will be provided should any material changes occur.
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