Cable theft a major problem in Protea South
Cable theft and illegal electricity connections pose a serious threat to the wellbeing of Soweto residents and lead to huge operating losses for the city.
Theft of copper cables and transformers in Protea South informal settlements, as well as illegal electricity connections are a crime, and endanger residents, the city has warned.
Cable theft and illegal electricity connections pose a serious threat to the wellbeing of Soweto residents and lead to huge operating losses for the city.
The member of the mayoral committee for infrastructure and the environment Roslynn Greeffhas vowed to crack down on cable thieves and people responsible for illegal electricity connections.
“Cable theft and illegal connections are a major cause of power outages in the city, resulting in severe disruptions in the lives of residents and loss of income to many small and emerging businesses.
“We have to combat the perception that those responsible for illegal connections are heroes in society.
“People need to recognise that cable theft is a crime and those stealing copper cables and disrupting power networks are criminals who should be dealt with by the law.
“The fact is that they are stealing from law-abiding ratepayers who are prepared to pay for the services they receive.
“Their reckless actions put the lives and livelihoods of thousands of ordinary residents in danger,” she said.
