Johannesburg – City Power, Johannesburg’s electricity supplier, is back in the Johannesburg High Court today, 10 October 2025, fighting for an urgent interdict against the Hawks. The case was put on hold earlier this week on 7 October to give the Hawks more time to hand in their papers. City Power wants the court to stop the Hawks from using any information they took during a raid last month, saying the whole operation was unlawful and done without a proper warrant.
This legal fight comes after two raids on City Power’s offices in the last two months, all tied to claims of dodgy contracts worth millions. With power cuts still a big issue in Gauteng, this row is raising questions about how investigations are handled and if they are fair to public companies trying to keep the lights on.
The utility has been clear: they have been working with the police since November 2024, but these recent actions feel like harassment. Spokesperson Isaac Mangena has spoken out, saying City Power has nothing to hide and has already shared proof to clear things up.
As the hearing kicks off this morning, many are watching to see if the court will side with City Power and put a brake on the Hawks’ probe for now.
Background to the Raids and Investigation
The trouble started back in 2024 when the Hawks, South Africa’s special unit for big crimes like corruption, began looking into City Power over tips from whistleblowers. The probe covers possible fraud that could add up to R500 million, focusing on contracts that might have been handed out wrongly. One key part is a tender from 2023 worth at least R67 million for buying electrical transformers – big machines that help move power around the grid.
This tender was part of Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s Energy Response Plan, a push to fix loadshedding by putting in new transformers and other fixes, especially in townships where blackouts hit hard. But claims say the deal was irregular: goods were not delivered, or prices were too high. Some reports even suggested City Power spent R67 million on just one transformer, which the utility strongly denies. They say they have records showing everything was done right and that the Hawks are leaning on unproven stories from the media, like old articles that did not get their side.
The Hawks have visited City Power twice this year. The first time was in August 2025, when the utility let them in without any warrants and gave over information freely. Then, on 17 September 2025, came the big raid at their headquarters in Reuven, Johannesburg. The Hawks showed up with a search warrant, saying it was part of the ongoing check into that R67 million deal. They invited news crews along, turning it into a public show. City Power says this made it feel like a humiliation, damaging their name and scaring staff.
During the September raid, the Hawks said they were there to grab laptops, computers, and other gadgets. But in the end, they did not take any hardware. Instead, City Power opened up their servers, and the Hawks downloaded files on just one contract. The utility questions why the Hawks gave them five days to bring in laptops themselves if it was so urgent – that could let someone delete stuff if they wanted to. City Power sees this as sloppy work and overreach, especially since they had already answered a formal request for information (RFI) from the Hawks earlier.
Details of the Court Proceedings
City Power did not wait around. They filed their urgent application on 25 September 2025, asking the Johannesburg High Court for a two-part interdict. Part A is to question if the search warrants were even valid. Part B wants to stop the Hawks from carrying out the warrants altogether. They also want all the seized materials sealed up until the court can review if the raid was legal. If they win, it could pause the whole investigation for a bit, giving City Power time to fight back properly.
The case first came up on 7 October 2025, but it got pushed back. The Hawks handed in their opposing papers late, right on the evening of the hearing. Judge Yacoob stepped in and told the Hawks to file everything by 18:00 on 9 October 2025, so City Power could reply. Now, today, 10 October 2025, the arguments should go ahead. City Power is pushing hard to suspend the warrant until the full case is heard, saying the raid broke rules and caused needless chaos.
The Hawks have said little so far, just that they are talking to their lawyers and the probe is still on. They describe it as a major operation based on solid tips, but City Power calls it harassment that messes with their daily work of supplying power to millions in Johannesburg.
Statements from City Power and Spokesperson Isaac Mangena
Isaac Mangena, City Power’s general manager for communication and public relations, has been the main voice on this. He insists the utility has been open from the start. “We have been cooperating with law enforcement since November last year,” Mangena said. But the raids have gone too far. “The recent raids have raised serious concerns with the utility claiming these actions amount to harassment.”
On the tender claims, Mangena pushed back hard. “The story says we used R67 million and bought only one transformer. That’s not true – we’ve got evidence, which we’ve already sent to the Hawks.” He added that if there is “smoke without fire, it could just be misinformation.” Mangena slammed how the raid was done: “The manner in which the so-called warrants were executed is what we’re challenging. They came claiming to take laptops and electronic equipment, but left without them, only downloading info on one contract.”
He also questioned the Hawks’ style, like inviting media to make a spectacle. “If there was any agency in retrieving information, why give us five days to bring laptops ourselves? That allows time to delete things if someone wanted to.” Mangena stressed that City Power has nothing to hide and wants the Hawks to wrap up and act if they have real proof. “We remain committed to providing all necessary information,” he said, but the utility will not stand for what they see as unfair treatment.
City Power as a whole says the raid was unlawful because there was no valid warrant shown at the time, and the whole thing was full of mistakes. They argue it disrupted their work and embarrassed their leaders and staff.
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