Illegal connection at Bloubosrand
BLOUBOSRAND – City power says there are consequences for people who connect electricity illegally.
Illegal electricity connections have become a major problem in South Africa.
A Bloubosrand resident recently complained about an illegal connection that he says, has run through his driveway since last year.
“I fear for my kids because they cannot play or go to their school transport unassisted,” said the resident.
“Wires are starting to show because of our cars going over it daily, City Power has been contacted but nothing has been done,” he said.
City Power spokesperson Sol Masolo said they have received complaints about illegal connections across the city. However, he is not aware of this particular case of Bloubosrand.
“Illegal connections cost City Power millions of rands every financial year and City Power has embarked on a number of strategies to deal with this matter,” said Masolo.
City Power’s Sydney Mphahlele also warned that illegal connections can be dangerous.
“Illegal connections cause overloading of the electricity network – when the network is overloaded it trips and this results in an outage for all customers in the community. This electricity outage affects all customers including the honest paying customers,” said Mphahlele.
“Illegal connections cause electrocutions because some of them have exposed wires and other illegal connections wires are buried in shallow trenches and children, even adults step on them unwittingly and get electrocuted,” he said.
Mphahlele also stated that some of these illegal connection wires are not meant to carry the amount of electricity they will carry when they are illegally connected to the grid therefore this may, in certain circumstances result in a fire.
Strategies that City Power has embarked on to deal with electricity theft.
•The physical removal of illegal connections by the electrical department in partnership with the Metro Police
• The changing of copper cables to aluminium ones (they are less profitable if stolen and sold)
• Placing concrete slabs on the cables to make it difficult for cable thieves to access them
• Digging cables deeper into the ground to make it difficult for cable thieves to take them.
If you are aware of any illegal connections contact the anti- fraud anonymous hotline: 0800 002 587.
Related stories:
Illegal connections pose danger to communities
Illegal electricity connections will be disconnected- City warns
