Municipality targets power thieves after Kwa-Guqa transformer explodes
The municipality plans to visit the area to remove illegal connections to ensure that the new transformer doesn’t explode.
Residents in Phase 4 and Hlalanikahle were left in the dark last week after a transformer caught fire, stopping power supply to the surrounding areas.
While the Emalahleni Local Municipality acted swiftly to replace the transformer that caught fire on June 17 and restore electricity, MMC for Technical Services Thabang Mathebula warned that the repairs will only be permanent if the root cause is addressed.
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“The main cause is the issue of overloading; the transformers become overloaded, and we realised that it’s mostly transformers next to areas where there are illegal connections, which usually explode,” Mathebula said. “Until the issue of illegal connections is resolved, chances are that we will repair and then the same thing will continue to happen again.”
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The MMC said they are currently planning to remove the illegal connections in the area, but also encouraged the community to play their part in making sure these connections stop.
“The community must also begin to police itself and make sure the illegal connections stop,” he said.
A two-month-long power outage at Ackerville flats has escalated into a life-threatening emergency
— WitbankNews (@WitbankN) June 24, 2026
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