Zero tolerance towards illegal connections
Ekurhuleni has intensified its campaign to get rid of illegal connections across the municipality.
To date, over 17 000 electricity connections have been removed since the drive started over two months ago, according to Sam Modiba, metro spokesperson.
On Friday, November 15, the illegal connection team comprising of the Red Ant Security Services, Combined Private Investigators (CPI), Metro Police’s Cable Theft Unit, Public Order Policing Unit and SAPS led by the municipality’s Energy Department, visited Zama Zama and Peter Mokaba informal settlements in Extension 28, Vosloorus, to remove move illegally connected cables.
The campaign has already been to Mpilisweni in Thokoza, Ramaphosa in Reiger Park, KwaThema Extension three and six and the KwaThema Hostel, Langaville Extension six and eight, Daggafontein in Springs, and Mkantshwa informal settlement near Ergo in Brakpan.
Other parts of Ekurhuleni will be visited in the next two months.
“Illegal connection of electricity is a major problem which has seen the municipality losing a whopping R36-m per annum due to illegal electricity connections.
“This translates to losses of about R2.8-m to R4.9-m, which the metro suffers per month,” says Modiba.
“Ideally this is the money which could otherwise be channelled towards service delivery projects.”
In a bid to address this huge loss, Ekurhuleni embarked on a month-long education in campaign in September to educate the communities about the adverse effects of illegal connections, where over 30 000 illegal connections were identified.
The campaign has entered its second leg where the actual removal of illegal connections is being carried out.
“In spite of the dangers associated with illegally connecting electricity, and the fact that this practice destroys the economy and reduces work opportunities as well as destroy power infrastructure, the practice is till rife, especially at informal settlements,” says Modiba.
Modiba points out that already this year alone four children were killed in Dukathole near Germiston as a result of illegal connections, while in another incident last month, a 42-year-old KwaThema man was electrocuted while trying to steal electricity.
“We are appealing to community members to help us fight illegal connections by reporting such incidents to our emergency call taking centre at 0860 543 000.”
Meanwhile, Ekurhuleni is currently rolling out solar energy lighting to identified households in informal settlements for which no short- or medium-term plans are in place for relocation or upgrading.
The 10W solar lighting unit consists of a solar panel, a battery control box and four LED lights.
The solar panel is positioned on top of the roof, but cannot be stolen, because it is built in from inside the house. The lifespan of the battery is three to five years.
The LED lights have the capacity to keep the light shining for up to 100 000 hours.
