Fight against illegal connections continues
The city is losing more than R600-million in revenue every year due to electricity theft.
City of Ekurhuleni officials, in partnership with Eskom and the SAPS, removed more than 1 500 illegal connections in Brakpan on Thursday, last week.
The operation, held in the Mkhankwa Village informal settlement, came shortly on the heels of another operation undertaken last Tuesday where about 1 200 illegal connections were removed at informal settlements in Vosloorus.
Several truckloads of scrap copper, wires and illegal connections were removed from the area.
The removed scrap metals and wires are to be sold at auction.
Read: Cable installation project creates jobs in Geluksdal
These add to the 86 000 illegal connections the city has disconnected in the past year.
The city is losing more than R600-million in revenue every year due to electricity theft, in addition to the losses suffered by local businesses during electricity outages caused by illegal connections.
These connections are not only illegal but are also dangerous, especially to children and animals.
Scores of people and animals have been electrocuted by the exposed wires from illegal connections.
The illegal connections have also led to power failures in different areas due to the damage caused to electricity supply infrastructure such as transformers.
Illegal connections lead to the grid overloading and consequently the tripping of power and burning of transformers.
There are more than eight people facing charges of tampering with essential infrastructure in different courts in the City of Ekurhuleni.
If found guilty, they may face imprisonment.
The city will continue with its operations to disconnect illegal connections in Ekurhuleni.
Also read: Ekurhuleni name changing starts as council adopts report on proposed names
Have a story?
Contact the newsroom by emailing: Thelma Koorts (editor) brakpanherald@caxton.co.za
or Stacy Slatter (news editor) stacys@caxton.co.za
or Miné Fourie (journalist) minev@caxton.co.za
Remember to visit the Brakpan Herald on the following social media platforms:
Follow us:
