Alleged illegal reconnection sparks outrage
It seems as if Boksburg North is being targeted by criminals who illegally reconnect electricity and then leave the doors of the electrical boxes open.
Boksburg North residents allegedly pay these criminals a lot of money to reconnect the electricity, after the metro instructs subcontractors to legally disconnect it.
This was discovered by a Ward 22 committee member on the Community Safety portfolio, who wishes to remain anonymous.
This same member exposed the dangerous, open sewerage drains in Boksburg North, earlier this year.
Not only is he concerned about this crime that’s being committed, but also the dangers the open electrical boxes pose to community members, specifically children.
“High voltage electricity runs through the cables. If someone touches the cables, it could kill that person,” said the concerned resident.
He suspects that subcontractors are performing these illegal reconnections, or someone who is illegally in possession of keys to the electrical boxes.
“Very few people have access to the keys; is the metro aware that there is a crook in the electrical department?” he said.
Operation Khanyisa, which is a partnership campaign to mobilise South Africans to use power legally, urges residents to take a stand against illegal power use by reporting electricity theft.
It can be reported anonymously by sending a detailed SMS to the Primedia Crime Line on 32211. The cost is R1/SMS.
It is important that certain details are included when reporting a suspected incident of electricity theft, such as:
* Address of the crime or description of the place, including pole numbers, street names and sections where possible.
* Description and/or name of suspect/s if known.
* Nature of the crime, if possible, such as illegal connection, meter tampering or cable theft.
Tip-offs can also be submitted on www.crimeline.co.za.
People can also report electricity theft on Eskom’s reporting line, 0800 11 27 22 (toll-free and confidential).
In 2013, the Ekurhuleni Metro intensified its campaign to get rid of illegal connections across the municipality.
At the time, illegal connection of electricity caused the municipality to loose R36-m per annum due to illegal electricity connections. This translated to losses of about R2.8-m to R4.9-m, which the metro suffererd per month.
The Advertiser approached the metro for comment, but, at the time of going to press, none had been received. – @IschkeBoksburg
Also read:
Zero tolerance towards illegal connections
Metro loses almost R3-m a month in illegal connection
