POWER OUTAGE AT Z5SS001 SUB-STATION DUE TO VANDALISM
Published: March 30, 2026<< BACK TO NEWS
.jpg)
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality would like to warn against acts of vandalism and theft of electricity infrastructure, as these have a serious negative impact on the City’s economy and the lives of residents.
Following a break-in, vandalism and theft incident at the Z5SS001 Substation, power distribution has been interrupted, affecting Coega Zone 5 and surrounding areas. The outage will have a negative impact on the operations of businesses situated at Coega Zone 5.
Technical teams are currently attending to the fault. At this stage, there is no estimated time for the restoration of power.
Although significant efforts have been made to curb vandalism and theft, resulting in arrests in many instances, the challenge persists.
The most common incidents include cable theft, general vandalism, and damage caused by illegal connections.
"As the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, we are making continuous efforts to protect our infrastructure, and as a result, arrests have been made in relation to these incidents. We are appealing for greater cooperation from residents to help us clamp down on vandals and the market that continues to reward their illegal activities,” said Executive Mayor Babalwa Lobishe.
As part of the fight against cable theft and vandalism, the Municipality, through its By-law Enforcement Task Team, conducts unannounced inspections at steel and copper recycling businesses across the Metro to ensure that they are not buying or selling material linked to municipal infrastructure.
Report to the Municipality: 041 506 5500 / 041 508 5548 / 041 508 5501 / 041 585 1555
Report to SAPS: 10111
Further updates will be communicated as more information becomes available.
The Municipality apologises for the inconvenience and thanks residents for their patience and cooperation.
Top stories
POWER RESTORED AHEAD OF SCHEDULE FOLLOWING MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURE April 02, 2026
As Executive Mayor, I confirm that electricity infrastructure repairs along the Chelsea, Arlington, Walmer, and Summerstrand line have been completed, with supply currently being restored in a phased and controlled manner. Full restoration is expecte...
AACL AND SPCA FAIL IN HIGH COURT BID TO TAKE OVER MUNICIPAL ANIMAL POUND April 02, 2026
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality notes the outcome of urgent legal proceedings initiated by the Animal Anti Cruelty League, AACL, and its ally, the SPCA, following a High Court process concluded on 01 April 2026.