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Illegal mining causing Joburg substations to collapse, says City Power

Timeslive · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · · 936 words · By Yvonne Grimbeek
Illegal Mining Infrastructure Security Public safety
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What to know about Illegal Mining

Story audio is generated using AI Copper extracted from live power cables, technicians threatened and shot at and collapsing substations — these are just some of the problems illegal mining poses to City Power.

Claims checked 14
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center80%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Story audio is generated using AI Copper extracted from live power cables, technicians threatened and shot at and collapsing substations — these are just some of the problems illegal mining poses to City Power.

Why it matters

In the Johannesburg electricity entity’s third-quarter report, tabled in council this month, City Power says the persistent threat of theft, vandalism and illegal mining poses a significant risk to its infrastructure, efficiency and financial sustainability.

Common ground

The activities also affect its ability to provide uninterrupted electricity and are diverting critical resources away from planned maintenance and infrastructure development, City Power says.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/2026-08-08-illegal-mining-causing-joburg-substa…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 5
schedule Pending 4
help Insufficient Evidence 2
check_circle Corroborated 2
verified Verified By Reference 1
schedule
Claim 1: “Last October and November, seven vandalism incidents targeting substations in Kibler Park and Mondeor cost the entity R7.8m in repairs.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 2: “In the Johannesburg electricity entity’s third-quarter report, tabled in council this month, City Power says the persistent threat of theft, vandalism and illegal mining poses a significant risk to its infrastructure, efficiency and financial sustainability.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim refers to 'Texas City, Texas' and general municipality laws in Texas, which are completely irrelevant to City Power in Johannesburg.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Texas City is a city in Galveston County, Texas and a suburb of Galveston (with some water area in Chambers County), United States. Located on the southwest shoreline of Galveston Bay, Texas City is a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_City,_Texas
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The types of municipalities in Texas are defined in the Local Government Code, which was codified in 1987. The designations of city, town and village were superseded by Type A, B, and C general-law ci…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_municipalities_in_Texa…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The City of Texas City has successfully completed its FY2024 audit, an important milestone after the process was delayed due to staffing transitions. Despite the extended timeline, the audit shows tha…
https://texascitytx.gov/
schedule
Claim 3: “From January to March this year, 21 people were convicted of cable theft and infrastructure crimes, accounting for nearly 60% of all convictions recorded during the entire 2025/26 financial year.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 4: “Mangena said the most recent security-related incident occurred in June at Robertville substation, where City Power technical staff were threatened while working.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided for this claim.
check_circle
Claim 5: “Mangena said the Main Reef corridor, stretching from Industria through Roodepoort towards Tshepisong, remained one of City Power’s greatest concerns, as extensive illegal mining was taking place beneath critical high-voltage electricity infrastructure.”
CORROBORATED
The specific claim about the Main Reef corridor (Industria to Tshepisong) and illegal mining beneath infrastructure is confirmed by the primary source and supported by other reports on illegal mining damage in Roodepoort and Main Reef Road.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Mangena said the Main Reef corridor, stretching from Industria through Roodepoort towards Tshepisong, remained one of City Power’s greatest concerns, as extensive illegal mining was taking place benea…
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/2026-08-08-illegal-mining-c…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — From Roodepoort and Booysens to Wemmer and Witpoortjie, the damage is spreading far beyond abandoned mine dumps - leaving the City of Johannesburg facing infrastructure reconstruction costs likely to …
https://allafrica.com/stories/202606010115.html
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Illegal mining activity has wiped out Main Reef Road in Benoni, near the Weltevreden landfill. Picture: Michel Bega. The Citizen has been there. Shafts lie exposed and gold washing takes place everywh…
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/zama-zamas-under…
help
Claim 6: “City Power technical teams working in the Roodepoort/Main Reef corridor had been threatened and, in some instances, shot at by heavily armed criminal groups operating in and around abandoned mines”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided for this claim.
info
Claim 7: “City Power is stabilising the surrounding electricity network and strengthening supply resilience. This includes extending the Fleurhof substation network to provide a backup supply should an incident affect Robertville.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The specific detail about extending the Fleurhof network to provide backup for Robertville is found in one source. Other sources mention Fleurhof outages or general solutions but not the specific backup link to Robertville.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — As part of its contingency planning, City Power is stabilising the surrounding electricity network and strengthening supply resilience. This includes extending the Fleurhof substation network to provi…
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/2026-08-08-illegal-mining-c…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Fleurhof Substation serving Fleurhof Extension 5 and JoshCo Flats has been compromised. “The mini substation is vandalised,” City Power stated, noting that temporary generator supply would be prov…
https://www.citizen.co.za/news/christmas-dark-city-power-gra…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — "City Power is confident that the completion of the new Fleurhof Substation will significantly ease the burden on the power grid and ensure a stable supply of electricity to the area."
https://joburg.org.za/media_/Newsroom/Pages/2023+News+Articl…
info
Claim 8: “City Power is increasingly concerned about Johannesburg’s approximately 14km underground tunnel network”
SINGLE SOURCE
The evidence provided discusses tunnels in Las Vegas, a personal blog about secret tunnels in Johannesburg (without length specifications), and tunnels in Ngora. None confirm the 14km length of a Johannesburg network.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Las Vegas Tunnels, often referred to as the "Vegas Tunnels," are a series of underground passages beneath the city of Las Vegas, Nevada. Originally constructed for flood control in the 1970s, thes…
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/what-is-an-underground-tunne…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Secret Tunnels under Johannesburg... From the secret life of the cities.That tunnel is 2 storey's underground. I thought it would take me to the longer tunnel, but it turned out to be very new and the…
http://hercolano6.blogspot.com/2010/06/secret-tunnels-under-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — It has a prolonged channel inside – measuring close to one kilometer. Odeke says he started digging the pit last month before falling sick. He then hired Okello to help him continue with the work but …
https://observer.ug/news/panic-in-ngora-as-residents-discove…
info
Claim 9: “About 5km away, Roodepoort substation identified similar signs of ground instability”
SINGLE SOURCE
The claim is explicitly confirmed by one news source ('Illegal mining causing Joburg substations to collapse, says City Power'), but other provided results are irrelevant (earthquakes in Tokyo, Shell gas stations).
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — About 5km away, Roodepoort substation identified similar signs of ground instability, Mangena said. These included an inverter plinth beginning to cave in and a support pole that had started to tilt b…
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/2026-08-08-illegal-mining-c…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 62 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth. Date and Time: Aug 21, 2026 21:02 (Tokyo Time) - …
https://earthquakelist.org/news/2026/08/21/m5-4-earthquake-j…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Locate the nearest Shell station quickly using our interactive Station Locator map or app. Filter by fuel type, amenities, and more.
https://www.shell.us/shell-stations/station-locator.html
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Claim 10: “According to City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena, the substations most affected by illegal mining are Robertville and Roodepoort.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources confirm that City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena identified Robertville and Roodepoort substations as being most affected by illegal mining.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In some cases, entire substations have had to be shut down or relocated due to safety concerns linked to underground instability.” According to City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena, the substations m…
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/2026-08-08-illegal-mining-c…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — “Zama zamas were spotted digging outside the Roodepoort substation, threatening the integrity of the surface floor and the pylons along the servitude run. Last year the same substation came under atta…
https://www.msn.com/en-za/news/other/zama-zamas-threaten-cit…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — JOHANNESBURG – Johannesburg City Power said that substations in Roodepoort were at risk of collapsing due to illegal mining by zama zamas. Residents were protesting in recent weeks, after being left i…
https://historyreviewed.best/index.php/s-africa-former-white…
schedule
Claim 11: “Last December, City Power’s security tactical team spotted a group of about 15 men inside tunnels near City Gen substation. When the team approached, the suspects opened fire with a rifle.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 12: “In the 2024/25 financial year, City Power spent around R235m repairing infrastructure damaged by theft and vandalism.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 13: “He said a combined geotechnical investigation and Robertville substation structural analysis report was completed in June 2024.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence consists of insurance company portals, a biography of Henry Martyn Robert, and a lake in Belgium. None of the evidence mentions a geotechnical report for the Robertville substation.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Henry Martyn Robert (May 2, 1837 – May 11, 1923) was an American Army general, engineer, and author. In 1876, Robert published the first edition of his reference manual of parliamentary procedure, Rob…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Martyn_Robert
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Lake Robertville is an artificial lake located in Wallonia near the city of Malmedy in Belgium. The water volume is 8,000,000 m³ and the area is 0,62 km². The lake is located in the High Fens park. Th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Robertville
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Robertville Baptist Church is a historic Southern Baptist church located at the junction of U.S. 321 and CR 26 (historic Sister's Ferry road) in Robertville, Jasper County, South Carolina. It was buil…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertville_Baptist_Church
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 14: “Other identified hotspots include Crown Mines, Riverlea, Cleveland, Jeppestown, George Goch, Braamfontein, parts of the Johannesburg CBD and sections of the inner city’s underground tunnel network”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists only of dictionary definitions of the word 'illegal'. No evidence was provided regarding the specific hotspots mentioned.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Illegal Look up illegal, illegally, or unlawful in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Nov 4, 2025 · The meaning of ILLEGAL is not according to or authorized by law : contrary to or in violation of a law : unlawful, illicit; also : not sanctioned by official rules (as of a game). How to…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/illegal
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — ILLEGAL definition: 1. not allowed by law: 2. not allowed by the rules of a sport: 3. an offensive word for someone…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/illegal
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.