Vandalism causes electricity outage
Residents are urged to report suspicious activities near municipal electrical infrastructure to law enforcement authorities.
ILLOVO township residents have experienced recurring electricity outages in recent weeks following the vandalism and theft of municipal electricity infrastructure.
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eThekwini Municipality’s Electricity and Energy Directorate revealed this recently after dispatching a technical team to repair damaged infrastructure in the township, restoring supply to affected residents.
In a statement, eThekwini said the repair work faced several challenges, as the damaged cable ran alongside a busy, curved road intersection, and overgrown vegetation made access difficult. Despite the challenging working conditions and the risks posed by moving traffic, the team carried out the necessary repairs to restore electricity supply to affected communities, it said.
Over the past few weeks, the township and neighbouring areas have experienced repeated power outages, with several incidents linked to the vandalism and theft of municipal electrical equipment, according to eThekwini.
Besides disrupting households and businesses, it said these criminal acts place additional pressure on technical teams, divert resources away from planned maintenance and infrastructure improvements, and delay the restoration of electricity to affected communities.
While the directorate remains committed to responding to outages and repairing damaged infrastructure, it has stressed that protecting municipal electricity assets requires collective responsibility. Residents are urged to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities near municipal electrical infrastructure to law enforcement authorities.
Cable theft and vandalism can be reported on 0800 20 20 20.
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