Tembisa erupts as residents’ outrage over power cuts spill into streets

Angry Tembisa residents brought parts of the township to a standstill on Monday, February 23, barricading major roads with burning tyres, rocks and debris in protest against electricity disconnections by the City of Ekurhuleni. The unrest began on Sunday night, when residents blocked roads with stones and burning tyres in response to electricity cut-offs. They have threatened mass protests over the disconnections linked to unpaid accounts.The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) confirmed the protest.

Brian Mazibuko Drive, RTJ Namane Drive and Emfihlweni were among the key routes shut down, with further disruptions reported along Andrew Mapheto Drive. Commuters were left stranded as tensions flared, with some forced to walk home amid the chaos. The protest follows the metro’s intensified credit control campaign and the issuing of pre-termination notices for non-payment.

Residents maintain that registered indigent and deemed indigent households were affected, amplifying frustration over soaring electricity costs, billing disputes and worsening service delivery. As law enforcement, including EMPD’s First Response Unit, Public Order Policing and SAPS, monitored the volatile situation, the City scrambled to contain the fallout. Acting Mayoral Spokesperson Ramotlo Tlotleng said Executive Mayor of the City of Ekurhuleni, Alderman Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, had taken note of the protest and the grievances raised by residents.