The City of Ekurhuleni’s Energy Department carried out an operation in Elandsfontein to remove illegal electricity connections.

Municipal teams targeted Emabondeni Informal Settlement, removing approximately 1 000 illegal connections.

Additionally, credit control enforcement officers disconnected seven formal properties that had illegally reconnected after being shut off for outstanding accounts.

Ward 92 Clr Kade Guerreiro acknowledged the efforts of stakeholders, but emphasised that operations targeting municipal infrastructure require far greater frequency.

ALSO READ: Illegal connections behind Elandsfontein’s power woes, says Ekurhuleni

He said illegal electricity connections have caused severe damage to substations along Hattingh Street, costing the city significant money while robbing residents of essential services.

Although municipal departments successfully removed the connections, many were reinstalled the same night.

Guerreiro called on the city to return regularly and step up service delivery in the area. He urged the council to resurface and restore Hattingh Street, noting that the city has failed to curb continuous illegal dumping in the street from its onset.

He stressed that while the challenges facing Elandsfontein are not new, they should motivate the city to make a meaningful impact, especially ahead of the upcoming local elections.

“Specific long-standing issues remain unresolved, including several houses on Dassie Street that are currently submerged in sewage water, despite frequent media coverage in the Germiston City News,” Guerreiro said.

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He urged community members to vote for candidates who will prioritise service delivery, noting that broader issues across the ward, such as broken streetlights, deteriorated roads, and homelessness, continue unabated.

“Homelessness remains visible near the Sunnyridge Circle, where individuals continue to sleep on the pavements.

“Despite local social groups working to beautify the area, enforcement remains difficult as police are often unable to intervene due to legal technicalities. Public intoxication near the local liquor store persists weekly,” he said.

The city has begun installing LED streetlights in certain sections, but most of the ward still lacks working lighting, which is vital for curbing high rates of contact crime.

He noted that vandalism and cable theft remain major concerns, particularly in Primrose East and Elandsfontein, where stolen overhead and municipal cables delay service restoration.

“These power outages directly affect vulnerable community members, including children and residents who depend on medical oxygen or refrigerated medication,” Guerreiro warned.

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He warned that failure to secure electrical infrastructure risks a total breakdown, driving businesses away and leaving communities to suffer.

“Facilities such as the Primrose Sports Centre, the Gerdview Swimming Pool, and the Klopperpark Swimming Pool, which is now filled with stagnant green rainwater, have fallen victim to neglect.

“Despite proposals, such as a local school offering to lease the Gerdview pool, the city refused permission, leaving security personnel guarding non-functional, decaying properties instead of allowing community utilisation,” Guerreiro said.

City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said most illegal connections are made with stolen cables, which were removed and disposed of as scrap after being rendered unusable.

ALSO READ: CoE removes illegal connections in Germiston

“Illegal connections cause the network to be unstable and can cause unplanned power outages due to overload and vandalism. Furthermore, this is electricity theft as this power is not paid for. There is also the element of putting lives of innocent citizens at risk because of the exposed cables,” Dlamini said.

“Mostly, illegal connections are restored after being removed. Monitoring the area after operations is not easy because reconnections are mostly done at night when access to these areas is dangerous.”

“Arrests are not easy either because when we arrive in the area, illegal connections are done already and there is no one who will take the responsibility for connecting them. Above all, it is not easy to prove in court who has done the illegal connection if they were not caught in the act,” he said.

“Communities can report illegal connections to any Ekurhuleni Customer Care Centre or call our hotline,” Dlamini added.