City Power targets zama-zama illegal connections in Johannesburg
Power outages, cable theft, and rising crime in suburbs like Randburg, Ferndale, and Blairgowrie have been linked to illegal miners tapping City Power networks.
Residents in Johannesburg’s northern suburbs have spent months dealing with frequent electricity outages, darkened streets, and a noticeable increase in hijackings and break-ins. The cause, according to City Power, lies underground. Illegal miners, commonly known as zama-zamas, have been making unauthorised connections to the electricity grid to power their operations.
This week, City Power launched an intensified operation across Randburg, Northriding, and surrounding areas to identify and remove these illegal connections. Teams have already disconnected dozens of unlawful hook-ups in the past two weeks and several arrests have been made in joint actions with the Johannesburg Metro Police Department and private security companies.
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The illegal connections overload transformers and cause explosions that plunge entire neighbourhoods into darkness for hours, sometimes days. When street lights fail, opportunistic crime tends to spike in the affected areas.
City Power has confirmed that the removal work will continue over the coming weeks and may result in short planned interruptions while networks are stabilised. Once cleared, residents can expect more reliable supply and fewer prolonged blackouts.
Also read: City Power targets illegal Kya Sands connections
Local community policing forums and tactical response units have increased night patrols in known hotspot zones to support the operation and prevent criminals from simply reconnecting elsewhere.
Ward councillors in the affected areas are encouraging the public to report any suspicious activity around electricity infrastructure or abandoned mine shafts immediately.
For many families in Johannesburg, the crackdown cannot come soon enough. The return of stable power and lit streets is seen as a vital step toward reclaiming safety in their neighbourhoods.
Anyone with information is urged to contact City Power’s crime hotline on 0800 002 587 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
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