63 illegal connections disconnected by City Power
City Power conducted a raid in Alex where they realised that not everyone is paying for their electricity, still.
City Power has expressed concern following the discovery of ABC cables – typically used for streetlighting – being illegally repurposed for electricity connections in the Organic Market informal settlement in Kew, Alexandra.
Ahead of the utility’s mobilisation into Alex, City Power reported on February 4 that of the 239 meters installed in the community over December 2024, only 156 customers’ meters showed to be purchasing electricity, while 33 others were vending at suspiciously low rates.
“Alarmingly, 50 customers are not buying electricity at all,” said City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena. “This prompted us to take urgent action to safeguard City Power’s infrastructure and avoid repeated incidents of damaged equipment and injuries. Those found to have tampered with the hardware will be immediately disconnected, and will face penalty fees.”
The utility conducted an urgent meter audit and disconnection operation on February 5 to tackle the growing issue of electricity theft.
Also read: City Power extends meter compliance deadline for people who have not upgraded yet
The operation, conducted in collaboration with JMPD, Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens, and City Power’s Security Risk Management team, resulted in 63 level-3 disconnections.
“This led to the confiscation of around 150m of streetlight cable, weighing 800kg, and the removal of 25 circuit breakers. These actions are part of City Power’s broader initiative to curb energy theft in the area.”
Mangena emphasised that City Power had made it clear that those caught tampering with the network would face immediate disconnection and a hefty penalty of R14 000.
“Further reinforcing the seriousness of the matter, City Power will be targeting internal collaborators, including contractors, who are allegedly involved in illegally reconnecting customers who have been disconnected for non-compliance. This crackdown aims to root out unlawful practices and ensure a fair and secure electricity supply of electricity to all residents.
“We are warning customers that the consequences of such illegal activities are severe, not only from a safety perspective but also in terms of financial impact and added strain to the network.”
So far, more than 7 170 smart meters have already been installed across Alexandra since the rollout of the TID project in October 2024.
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