Mayor condemns illegal electricity connections following fatal shooting
A community member’s unresponsive body was found on the ground after an allegedly unruly crowd dispersed when metro police officers fired rubber bullets.
The Tshwane mayor has condemned illegal electricity connections and called on residents to report such activity so they could respond accordingly.
“I want to issue a firm warning to those that install illegal connections, this is a crime. The connections will be removed and you will be prosecuted,” Tshwane mayor Randall Williams said.
“Where residents identify illegal connections, they must please report them so we can ensure that we respond appropriately.”
This comes after the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD), SAPS and electricity department had two operations in the Leeufontein, near Baviaanspoort, area earlier this week.
READ MORE: Man killed in rubber bullet shootout with TMPD
While the first operations which were conducted on Tuesday were completed successfully, a second operation by the TMPD saw a community member being killed after he was allegedly hit by a rubber bullet and died instantly.
In the first operations, illegal connections were disconnected and illegal cables valued at an estimated R800 000 were recovered, along with an illegally installed transformer.
“Illegal electricity connections are a scourge, not only in Tshwane but across the country,” Williams said, adding that these connections caused immense strain on the electricity grid and resulted in significant damage to electricity infrastructure.
“Our teams are taking a zero-tolerance approach when it comes to dealing with illegal electricity connections.”
Williams further said the connections were stealing from the city and residents who had legal connections.
“We have implemented a rolling schedule of operations to deal with illegal connections across the city, targeting the areas where these connections are highly prevalent,” he said.
“It was through the joint support of both the TMPD and SAPS that they were able to ensure they protected their teams in the process of safeguarding the city’s infrastructure.”
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