eThekwini intensifies crackdown on illegal connections
The recent operation formed part of the the municipality's concerted efforts to eradicate electricity theft.
THE fight against the proliferation of illegal connections in eThekwini continues as electricity theft remains a challenge in informal settlements.
Last week a joint operation between eThekwini Municipality’s Electricity Department and Fitama Protection Services led to the removal of more than 3km of illegal cable connections in the Marikana informal settlement near Solomon Mahlangu Drive.
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The informal settlement caught fire in 2025, resulting in several shacks burning down – no injuries were reported.
The recent operation formed part of the municipality’s concerted efforts to eradicate electricity theft.
eThekwini investigates 241 infrastructure theft cases
According to a statement from eThekwini Municipality, vandalism and theft of critical municipal infrastructure are causing major interruptions to water and electricity supply across eThekwini.
It places significant strain on resources and hampers the delivery of essential services to communities.
As from July 2025 and April 2026, the municipality’s city integrity and investigative directorate investigated 241 infrastructure theft cases.
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Of these, 108 cases were confirmed and all have been referred to law enforcement authorities for further action.
Executive director for Technical Services, Ednick Msweli, emphasised the serious impact of these criminal activities.
“This ongoing destruction of municipal infrastructure represents a major setback in our efforts to provide reliable water and electricity services. Vandalism and theft not only disrupt essential services but also result in prolonged outages and increased operational costs. Communities ultimately bear the consequences through reduced service reliability,” he said.
Any suspicious activity must be reported immediately, urged the municipality.
Incidents of theft or vandalism can be reported to the Water and Sanitation Toll-Free number on 080 311 1111 or via WhatsApp on 073 148 3477. City Integrity and Investigations Directorate can be reached on 0800 20 20 20 or email ombuds@durban.gov.za.
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