City Power said certificates of compliance and other safety requirements must also be met before connections can be activated.
Picture: iStock
Residents demanding immediate electricity at the Mahauzana Flats in Alexandra will have to wait until several legal and safety requirements are met, City Power said after receiving a memorandum from the community this week.
The utility confirmed it received a Memorandum of Demands on Tuesday from residents of Riverpark Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, K206, Extension 9 and the Mahauzana Flats following a peaceful march to the Alexandra Service Delivery Centre.
“City Power has taken note of the issues contained in the memorandum, including calls for the immediate electrification of the Mahauzana Flats, the upgrading of electricity infrastructure, improved responsiveness from the utility and urgent intervention to address unsafe electrical infrastructure.”
Illegal connections blamed for outages
City Power said the Mahauzana Flats are currently unlawfully occupied and that occupants are not registered customers of the utility.
The utility said the area is characterised by widespread illegal electricity and water connections, which have placed pressure on the local network and created safety risks.
“These illegal connections pose a significant danger not only to the occupants of the building but also to surrounding communities and to the integrity of the electricity network,” it said.
The utility warned that unlawful connections overload the network, increase the risk of electrical faults and create hazardous conditions that place lives at risk.
“During the high winter electricity demand period, neighbouring communities
experienced repeated electricity interruptions after the local network became overloaded.
“These illegal connections have affected the reliability of electricity supply to lawful customers in surrounding areas,” it added.
City Power said it cannot legally provide or restore electricity through illegal connections and has a responsibility to operate the network in line with applicable legislation.
Illegal connections to be removed
City Power said it will remove illegal electricity connections at the Mahauzana Flats in the coming days.
“This intervention forms part of efforts to eliminate unsafe installations and ensure compliance with applicable legislation and recognised electricity safety standards.”
It added that any process to regularise the development cannot be undertaken by City Power alone and requires cooperation from the Department of Housing and law enforcement agencies.
The utility also raised concerns that a significant number of Riverpark residents are not purchasing electricity through legitimate channels.
“For City Power to supply stable electricity on a sustainable basis, approximately 80% of residents need to purchase electricity legitimately through the official vending system,” the utility said.
Electrification project still underway
Despite the challenges, City Power said the Mahauzana Electrification Project remains underway.
The project includes the installation of a mini-substation, pillar box and sub-metering system aimed at providing a safer and more reliable electricity supply.
“Due to the serious concerns raised by lawful, paying customers in the Mahauzana Flats and surrounding areas, City Power has taken the decision to supply bulk electricity to the development. The plan is for the Department of Human Settlements thereafter be billed for the electricity consumed,” said City Power general manager for public relations and communication Isaac Mangena.
However, before any supply can be connected, residents must complete the internal reticulation within the buildings, including the installation of distribution boards and associated wiring.
City Power said certificates of compliance and other safety requirements must also be met before connections can be activated.
“Someone has to pay for the electricity that is consumed. We are actively engaging the Department of Human Settlements to ensure they fulfil this responsibility for the electricity supply that will be provided to Mahauzana,” Mangena added.
The utility urged residents to work with the Department of Housing to regularise the occupation of the buildings and address planning and structural issues.
City Power said a permanent electricity supply would only be possible once all legal, safety and compliance processes have been completed.
