More Fake News: Alarming posts with titles such as 13 Suburbs in Johannesburg to Experience Full 8-Hour Power Cut
or Johannesburg Suburbs Power Outage Schedule
are circulating fictional Johannesburg power outages online. Most of these stories come from a cluster of sites that appear to be generating fake news with AI. Their domain names are generic - bpj-code, families4veterans-directory, africanfarmingproject etc. These sites all have very similar titles and wording, and cite no official notice.
What City Power Has Actually Published
City Power Johannesburg announces planned maintenance in two ways:
- PDF notices on its Johannesburg Power Outage Schedule portal, each with a reference number and the affected streets or blocks;
- Real-time updates on its verified X (Twitter) account @CityPowerJhb.
Eskom Also Debunks the Claims
On 29 May 2025, Eskom issued an official statement on X directly addressing these fake claims. The utility strongly refutes the misleading information circulating online regarding an alleged 8-hour outage or imminent loadshedding due to winter-related challenges
and declared that these claims are entirely false.
In their official tweet, Eskom provided clear facts about the current power situation:
The power system remains stable, and loadshedding has been suspended since 22:00 on 15 May 2025. There are no planned outages of this magnitude.
Eskom's message:
- No 8-hour outage planned
- Load-shedding remains suspended
- The grid remains stable
Spot the Red Flags
- No source link: articles that cite unnamed "officials" or embed copied text without linking back to City Power are likely click-bait.
- Vague on details: The articles are very vague on the details of the outage, and do not provide specific information about the outages such as the substation, streets, or the time of the outages. Instead they include generic information not pertaining to the actual outages.
- Sensational language: phrases like
brace yourselves
,massive power cut
, or sensational images are hallmarks of engagement farming, not public service.
How to Verify a Planned Outage
1 – Bookmark citypower.co.za /customer-services /outages for official PDFs.
2 – Follow @CityPowerJhb for live restoration times.
3 – Cross-check with Ourpower.co.za.
4 – For national grid status, monitor @Eskom_SA official updates.
Just like the "14-Hour Eskom Load-Shedding" Hoax
A few days ago, this same cluster of sites claimed Eskom would impose a nationwide 14-hour block in June. Eskom's latest statement reaffirms that load-shedding has been suspended since mid-May and the grid remains stable — directly contradicting these fabricated stories. This pattern of false outage claims appears designed to generate clicks and spread panic.
Bottom Line
As of 29 May 2025, both City Power and Eskom have confirmed there is no eight-hour outage affecting 13 Johannesburg suburbs. Load-shedding remains suspended nationwide, and the power system is stable. Check official utility notices first, and remember Eskom's advice: verify information before you share
and trust only official platforms for accurate power system updates.
