Illegal connections continue to be rife in Laudium Extention 3, residents told Rekord on Thursday.
Disgruntled local Salie Davids said illegal electricity connections had been happening for years.
“Illegal connections are made by people living in the squatter camp. They connect straight from electricity street poles with wires that sometimes run on the ground, all the way to Itireleng informal settlement.”
He said residents had raised the issue with the Tshwane metro but to no avail.
“We have reported the matter of electricity theft to Tshwane metro but we have not yet had help. Our cries are being ignored.”
Davids said his electricity bill kept on rising.
“Last month my bill was more than R50,000 and who knows how much I would pay now. If illegal connections continue, our bills will be more, because we are sharing electricity with people from the squatter camp and they are not paying a cent.”
Itireleng squatter camp resident Josias Mofokeng told Rekord people from the squatter camp had been in talks with Tshwane metro to provide them with electricity and running water.
“Life is tough here mfowethu (my brother). We have been living here for years and there is no sign we will ever get the basic needs people get in other townships and squatter camps. We complain about water, we toyi-toyi but still nothing is done.”
Another Itireleng resident, Andries Mafutha, said those stealing electricity from Laudium residents were making life tough for others.
“Some of us cross into Laudium to ask for piece jobs. But if people from this squatter camp continue to steal electricity from Laudium, the people from that area will never trust us enough to give us piece jobs.”
He said Itireleng residents had to be patient and allow Tshwane metro time to install electricity in the squatter camp.
“I know it’s difficult in the winter season without electricity, but stealing power is not the solution. It is very dangerous because some of these stolen power wires run on the ground and we have children running around barefoot. It will be a very bad lesson for some of our residents when their children have lost either a leg, hand or even their lives,” said Mafutha.
Rekord has sent a questions to Tshwane metro spokesperson, Lindela Mashigo, on the issue and the response is being awaited.
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