Residents of Rockville, Potchefstroom, staged a protest on June 17, threatening to cut off electricity to surrounding areas if their demands for legal electricity access are not met.

Frans Peppes, a leader in the community, confirmed that the residents, who have connected electricity illegally, were threatening to cut off all power to surrounding areas if they cannot have electricity. “The residents who are paying their rates and taxes now have to suffer under these circumstances. They wanted to cut off power at the transformer so that no one can have power.”

Ward 13 councillor Loreal Abrahams said residents are suffering. “Currently, Baipeng has been without electricity for four days and families are struggling with basic needs like cooking, lighting, and keeping food fresh,” she said. “Children can not even study and residents do not feel safe because of the darkness.”

Illegal electricity connections in the nearby informal settlement known as Marikana and Rockwell have placed strain on the grid, affecting formal areas like , Baipeng, and Hillside View. “This also causes division in the community because yesterday they were fighting each other, right?” said Abrahams.

Potchefstroom Herald’s request for comment from ward 17  (which includes Marikana) councillor, Rebecca Kgobane, is yet to be responded to.

The councillor expressed serious concern for public safety. “They are being threatened and they are being attacked by the people who are connecting illegally,” she said. “At the moment, the community’s safety is compromised and our residents are living in fear.”

Attempts have been made by the JB Marks Municipality to intervene. “JB Marks Municipality did attempt to disconnect these illegal connections several times. But the people who connect illegally will then go and connect again after the disconnection,” Abrahams noted.

She explained that enforcement teams responded quickly: “Yesterday, the municipality responded promptly. They did activate SAPS. They activated MEG to assist the community to calm the situation,” she said.

However, the situation remains unresolved: “Last night [18 June], they went there. MEG was there with  SAPS, with the electricity department to disconnect. But I got phone calls at the moment right now as we speak that [residents] they are connecting again. And they’re saying that they don’t care about the municipality who will disconnect. They’ll come and disconnect and they will reconnect again.”

So far, no arrests have been reported, and officials continue to monitor the area.