Residents in Shoshanguve outside Pretoria with illegal connections have had their power-supply cut by Eskom two weeks ago. Paying residents in the area gathered at key points to protect their electricity supply after they claim threats were received it was going to be vandalised by residents from affected areas.

Mabopane resident Tumelo Sekwele told Pretoria Record that ‘faceless people’ in Beirut, Slovo, Lebanon and Boekenhout have threatened to vandalise the transformers in protest because they had been without electricity for more than two weeks.

Sekwele says they decided to protect the transformers.

“We posted a message to social media calling on locals to come out at 18:30 to protect them,” says Sekwele.

He says the saboteurs do not have electricity because they had been disconnected for defaulting on payments.

“They don’t want anyone else to have electricity. We had to barricade the substation in Block X to stop the saboteurs from accessing it… That substation supplies blocks X, C and UX.”

He says they did the same for the substation at Mabopane Square as well as the mall itself “to make sure that nothing was destroyed”.

A resident who did not want to be named confirmed the community made sure that all transformers were safe.

“This is bad because they do not pay for electricity and they want all of us to suffer… I feel it is very unfair towards people who are paying.”

A Slovo resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, says making those who are paying their bills suffer is ‘not the way to go’.

“This is not the way to solve the problem, I would like to condemn their actions,” she says of the saboteurs.

She, however, says that Eskom should take responsibility for the electricity crisis in the area.

“We have at several times reported people charging R4 500 to make illegal connections. We give names, addresses of where the illegal connections can be found but nothing is done,” she says.

“Some residents here don’t have meter boxes. They applied for them in 2015 but haven’t received them. It’s almost seven years now – how do you expect people to pay for electricity when you haven’t installed meter boxes?”

Al Jama-Ah councillor Kabelo Nthekiso says he noted with absolute shock the disrespect Eskom has shown the community.

Nthekiso says for three weeks, the community has been protesting, blockading streets and entrances to schools and clinics to get Eskom’s attention after the utility disconnected them without a substantive reason.

“It has been two weeks of engagement with all the councillors from various political parties trying to reach out to Eskom for answers but as usually they chose to ignore the community leaders elected by the people.”

Two weeks ago, Eskom cut power supply to some parts of Klipgat, Winterveldt, Mabopane, Slovo and Marikana arguing most residents there had made illegal connections.

Eskom demanded that residents who had made the illegal connections to pay R6 052.60 in six months.

Residents suggested instead that the utility scrap historic debts and then install pre-paid meters. Eskom, however, has not budged on its demand.

Eskom spokesperson Amanda Qithi says that less than 51% electricity users in the area were paying.

Qithi says the R6 052.60 Eskom demands to be paid is a reconnection fee.

“If the residents pay the fee and replace their illegal meter boxes with prepaid ones, supply will be restored.”

She says the utility engaged its customers on how to make compliance easy hence it was decided the reconnection fee be paid over in six months.

“The process to restore the electricity supply only begins when 60% of customers issued with the reconnection notices have paid at least R500.”