Ekurhuleni mayor orders halt to electricity disconnections amid Thembisa ‘shutdown’
· Citizen
As Thembisa residents plan a shutdown to protest electricity disconnections, termination notices and concerns about the City’s indigent policy, Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza has pledged to engage “constructively with affected residents.”
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Residents are expected to take to the streets of the city on Monday.
Consultations
Acting mayoral spokesperson Ramatolo Tlotleng said Xhakaza has taken note of the planned protest in Thembisa and the concerns raised by residents.
“Following extensive consultations with key stakeholders, including ward councillors and community representatives, the executive mayor acknowledges the seriousness of the issues brought forward and affirms the city’s commitment to engaging constructively with affected residents.”
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Actions
With the looming protest, Xhakaza ordered an immediate halt to electricity disconnections and to the issuance of pre-termination and termination notices to indigent and deemed indigent households.
“This is to allow the administrative process to unfold for further internal processing that shall begin tomorrow, 23 February 2026, until Friday, 27 February 2026.
“We will progressively begin with the restoration of electricity to households that have been disconnected, particularly those registered as indigent and deemed indigent according to the city’s criteria,” Tlotleng said on Sunday.
Review
Tlotleng said the city will also undertake a review of the city’s indigent policy to ensure it is fair, responsive, and aligned with the socio-economic realities facing vulnerable communities, and initiate a process to scrap outstanding debt for registered indigent and deemed indigent households, subject to verification and policy alignment.
“The executive mayor emphasises that while the city must maintain a culture of payment for services to ensure sustainability, it equally carries a constitutional obligation to protect the most vulnerable members of society,” Tlotleng said.
“No qualifying indigent household should be deprived of basic services due to administrative shortcomings or policy gaps.”
Tlotleng has called on residents to remain calm and to allow the “investigative and review processes to unfold.”
Taxi services
Meanwhile, the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) confirmed that taxi operations in Thembisa will not be halted despite the planned community shutdown.
“Taxi services will operate as normal, with caution, and will be guided by conditions on the ground. Commuters who require transport and can move safely will be transported,” said Santaco spokesperson Patrick Mncube
“We call on law enforcement to ensure the safety of passengers, operators, and all community members. While we respect the right to peaceful protest, we also affirm the right of residents to access essential transport services.”
Santaco has also called for calm.
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