Eskom confirmed that a man in his early 40s died on May 6 in Kanana, Sebokeng, after coming into contact with electricity while trying to illegally operate an Eskom transformer.

“One death is one too many, especially as this incident could have been avoided.

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“Our preliminary results indicate that the deceased allegedly climbed on the transformer and made contact with one of the phases and the earth wire as he was trying to illegally connect a broken jumper on the network,” said Motlhabane Ramashi, the maintenance and operations senior manager in the Gauteng Operating Unit.

Eskom expressed concern about the increase in the vandalism, theft and illegal operations on its electricity infrastructure in residential areas.

The power utility reminded the public that illegal activities compromise public safety and also result in prolonged power outages as they impede its efforts to provide a consistent power supply to customers.

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Eskom has been engaging with the customers in Sebokeng regarding its efforts to ensure networks are safe for both employees and members of the public.

“We continue to experience illegal operations, illegal reconnections and tampering with electricity infrastructure, and all of this compromises the integrity of our network and our ability to provide uninterrupted supply due to repeated equipment failure.

“Such behaviour is not only illegal, but also unsafe and may lead to injuries and the loss of innocent lives.

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“We will continue with our efforts to inform and educate members of the public about the dangers associated with illegal operations and also work with the law enforcement agencies to bring a stop to them,” Ramashi said.

“We urge all those who may be aware of infrastructure theft incidents to play a role in the fight against such serious crimes by sending their anonymous tip-offs to the Eskom Crime Line on 0800 11 27 22.”