Note to Editors: Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Cllr Dirk Kotze and Sesotho soundbite by Cllr Kabelo Moreeng.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mangaung strongly condemns Centlec’s ongoing failure to implement effective contingency measures to manage large-scale power outages following severe weather. For more than four years, storms have repeatedly plunged Bloemfontein and the surrounding areas into darkness, yet Centlec’s crisis response remains slow, reactive, and dangerously unprepared.
The DA will issue a formal letter of demand to the City Manager, requiring the City Manager to submit a comprehensive storm- and disaster-response contingency plan within 14 days.
This plan must include a clear vegetation and infrastructure maintenance programme, a rapid deployment strategy with defined performance targets, and a communication protocol that provides real-time updates to residents during outages.
The most recent outage, caused by a heavy rainstorm, again demonstrated Centlec’s inability to respond quickly when residents need help. Areas such as Hamilton, Hilton, Estoire, Bloemspruit, Wilgehof, Bayswater, and Hospitaalpark lost electricity after strong winds uprooted trees and damaged power lines.
Centlec claimed its teams had to stop repairs because it was dark and roads were blocked, yet no backup plan was put in place to assist residents or restore power safely and urgently.
This pattern has become deeply entrenched. In January 2023, widespread outages caused by storm damage and failing infrastructure left residents without clear communication, while businesses suffered significant financial losses due to slow restoration and limited capacity. By August 2023, ongoing cable theft continued to cripple the network, yet Centlec still had no proactive security or protection strategy.
In December 2023, storms again left Bloemfontein and Tierpoort without power, followed by long delays in restoration. The trend continued into January 2024, with reports highlighting Centlec’s failures in ramp management and its ongoing inability to respond effectively during crises.
Most recently, in April 2025, a data system failure plunged parts of the city into darkness for nearly a week. Poor communication aggravated residents’ frustration, while businesses lost millions due to Centlec’s slow repair response.
Despite repeated failures, Centlec’s disaster readiness has not improved. Each storm, each cable theft incident, and each infrastructure breakdown results in the same message: “We are unable to reach areas, we are doing what we can.” Residents deserve better than repeated excuses.
This lack of planning endangers residents’ lives, livelihoods, and safety. Storm-related power outages are neither new nor unexpected. Mangaung has repeatedly received warnings of heavy rainfall, including recent forecasts of 30–50 mm over the next week.
Yet Centlec still lacks emergency deployment strategies, rapid-response repair plans, alternative access routes for teams, and proactive vegetation management to reduce storm damage.
Residents are left without power for extended periods not only because of severe weather, but also because Centlec continually fails to prepare. This is unacceptable, especially as electricity tariffs have risen by about 12.6% annually—now 70–75% higher than five years ago.
We remain committed to holding Centlec accountable and ensuring residents receive reliable electricity and clear communication.