City Power Pushes Back After Court Orders Rebuilding of Demolished Alex Homes

City Power is pushing back after the Johannesburg High Court ruled it must rebuild several homes in Alexandra township, homes the utility insists it didn’t demolish. The court’s decision came after the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) took up the case on behalf of 27 community members, alleging the homes were torn down without a court order in August. City Power maintains the houses were built illegally on a key electricity servitude, which blocked technicians from accessing infrastructure during a major outage. According to spokesperson Isaac Mangena, the homes were taken down by the community themselves to allow urgent repairs. He says City Power was surprised by the legal action and believes the ruling is unfair. “We’re hoping the court-initiated mediation process can bring clarity and help address the deeper challenges we’re facing,” Mangena told Kaya News. Phemelo speaks to Isaac Mangena for more on the dispute.