Illegal connections and exposed wires are not only unlawful; they can electrocute people, start fires, overload the network and damage critical infrastructure.

August marks Electricity Safety Month, a national opportunity to place public electricity safety at the centre of South Africa’s safety agenda and to encourage communities to identify, avoid and report dangerous electrical hazards.

While electricity remains essential to everyday life, unsafe use, illegal connections, exposed conductors and tampered infrastructure continue to place communities, employees and contractors at serious risk.

“South Africa continues to face serious electricity safety risks linked to illegal connections, low-hanging and exposed wires, cable theft, infrastructure vandalism and attacks on electricity workers. Eskom has reported around 200 public safety impacts linked to electricity-related incidents, and we remain concerned that many more incidents may go unreported where communities protect the illegal connections responsible for many of these hazards,” says Miranda Moahlodi, Eskom’s Senior Manager for Occupational Health and Safety.

Poorly installed, overloaded or tampered electrical lines remain among the biggest contributors to fires in informal settlements and residential areas. Early reporting can prevent devastating fires, protect children and families, reduce unplanned outages and support a safer, more reliable electricity network.

This is where the Eskom See–Act–Immediately approach becomes critical: when communities see a fallen or low-hanging wire, an open electrical box, a damaged meter box, a vandalised transformer, or unsafe connections running through trees, across streets or over rooftops, they must act immediately by moving away, warning others and reporting the hazard. Do not touch it, do not remove it, and most importantly, do not ignore it.

Eskom recognises the daily pressures faced by households, businesses and communities, and appeals to everyone to prioritise safety when using electricity. Illegal connections, meter tampering and unauthorised work on electrical infrastructure place lives at risk and can have devastating consequences.

“The removal of illegal connections by Eskom teams highlights the need to protect both the electricity network and the employees working to make it safe. While disconnections can be difficult for affected communities, Eskom’s priority is to prevent harm and save lives. We urge communities to support the safe removal of illegal connections so that this essential work can continue and every worker can return home safely each day,” adds Moahlodi.

Protecting electricity infrastructure is also about protecting lives and livelihoods. Vandalism, cable theft and illegal electricity operations can cause extended outages, damage essential services, and expose communities, employees and contractors to potentially fatal risks.

Together, we can create safer homes, safer workplaces, and safer communities. Report illegal connections, exposed wires, damaged electrical equipment, meter tampering, cable theft, or vandalism to Eskom or your local municipality. Your report could prevent an injury, save a child’s life, and help keep South Africa’s electricity infrastructure safe and reliable.

Report electricity-related crime, illegal connections and unsafe electrical hazards:

Eskom Crime Line: 0800 11 27 22

Email: eskom@whistleblowing.co.za

SMS: 31090