Man dies due to illegal connections
A man was killed due to the illegal electricity connections in KwaThema's Extension three section
An illegal electricity connection in KwaThema Extension Three has claimed a life.
A man died as he was allegedly illegally connecting the electricity cables from one of the electricity poles at Extension Three to Marikana informal settlement.
The cables trail down from the electricity poles, cross inside some of the yards and others go down through illegal dumping sites while there are those that go down to the water under the bridge, hanging over the trees and crossing over the roads from the RDP houses at Extension Three to Marikana.
Ward councillor Wilson Busakwe says the Izinyoka from Marikana are illegally connecting from the electric poles that was launched in November last year at Flora Park.
He says few years ago a child was also electrocuted as a result of the illegal connections in that area.
Busakwe says, to prevent more deaths due to the illegal connections, he had a meeting with the residents on Sunday night and the community agreed that the red ants should come and cut off all the illegal connections in their area.
“Living without electricity for more than two days has become part of our lives,” says one of the Extension Three residents, Beauty Monis.
Monis says her neighbour is forced to buy candles and a paraffin stove after the illegal connections left her without electricity three weeks ago.
She says they live in fear for their lives after one of Izinyoka threatened to kill anyone who denies them the right to make illegal connections from the electricity poles on the streets.
She says the electricity cables that cross down in some of the yards to Marikana pose a danger to children.
“The cables are very much exposed and the children are forced to jump over them every day on their way to and from school,” says Monis, adding that the parents always have to think about the safety of their children when they are playing on the street.
She explains that the illegal connections also come with too much cost to them as she says the electricity units to the value of R100 only last for two days.
“We need the metro and the community to intervene in a fight against the illegal connections in our area,” says Monis.
