Blackouts and Broken Promises: Is This the End of ANC Rule in Johannesburg?

A major power outage has left large parts of Johannesburg's Central Business District (CBD) in darkness since last week Friday, after a fire at the Bree Street electrical substation damaged crucial infrastructure.

The municipal electricity supplier, City Power, has indicated that it could take up to a week to restore full electricity, with Friday being targeted for restoration. But the ongoing outage has affected thousands of residents and businesses, raising concerns over the African National Congress (ANC)-led city government’s ability to manage essential services just months before the next local government election, which must be held within the next year.

The Bree Street substation, a key part of Johannesburg’s power network, had been repaired following a gas explosion that damaged the whole street in late 2023. However, the fire on Friday caused severe damage, plunging areas such as Newtown, Braamfontein, Maboneng, and parts of the financial district into darkness. The outage has disrupted daily operations, with businesses, including small shops, restaurants, and corporate offices, which are unable to function without electricity.

The outage has crippled public transport systems, with the few traffic lights that had been functional now out, and key transport hubs affected. Commuters are facing added difficulties as they navigate the city.

This power failure is yet another example of Johannesburg’s deteriorating infrastructure under ANC leadership, a trend that has been seen across many of South Africa’s urban areas.

These ANC service delivery failures will have real consequences for the party at the ballot box.

Polling data published in The Common Sense already shows a growing dissatisfaction with the ANC. The ANC is polling below 50% in some of its key constituencies, including black voters, rural voters, and South Africa’s poorest voters, who once formed the party’s most reliable base.

In addition, further research conducted by The Common Sense shows a clear shift in support away from the ANC. The Democratic Alliance (DA) is now the biggest party, in aggregate, across the three provinces that account for two-thirds of South Africa’s economic output: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape. In addition, the DA’s aggregate support is higher than the ANC’s in the eight metros, showing how the political centre of gravity is shifting across South Africa’s cities, not just Johannesburg.

Meanwhile, the DA, with Helen Zille as its mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, is seizing on the ANC’s failures. The DA has positioned itself as the party of effective service delivery, contrasting Zille’s successful governance in Cape Town with the ANC’s track record in Johannesburg.

As the next local government election approaches, the outcome for Johannesburg will depend on whether voters continue to trust the ANC to manage the city or choose to opt for change under Zille and the DA’s leadership. The ongoing power outage, and the ANC’s handling of it, could prove decisive in the battle for the city’s future.