City Power technician in court over alleged R3,000 bribe demand
A City Power technician has appeared in court on an extortion charge after allegedly demanding R3,000 from a Norwood resident to restore electricity following a power outage.
The resident reportedly experienced the outage on 26 July 2026, with the technician officially assigned to attend to the fault. According to City Power, the technician allegedly told the customer that R3,000 had to be paid before the electricity could be restored.
The electricity was eventually restored by a contractor, but the technician allegedly continued demanding the money from the customer.
The matter was investigated by City Power’s Corporate Investigations and Security Risk Management unit in collaboration with the Hawks, leading to the technician’s arrest in a sting operation.
The employee, who works under City Power’s Inner City Service Delivery Centre, appeared in court on Wednesday.
City Power CEO Charles Tlouane welcomed the arrest and reiterated the utility’s zero-tolerance approach to corruption, warning against individuals attempting to profit from essential municipal services.
City Power urged residents not to pay anyone who demands money to restore electricity, repair faults, or speed up services. Customers are encouraged to report suspected corruption or extortion through the utility’s official reporting channels.
The case is continuing.
