Eskom has noted with concern an increase in the theft and vandalism of its electricity infrastructure in the Gauteng province, even during this crucial Covid-19 national lockdown.
As a result, Eskom has experienced power supply interruptions in recent days as direct causes by such illegal and theft-related activities.
“The theft and vandalism of the network and equipment do not only result in outages that cause an inconvenience to the public, but also have a significantly negative impact on our operations and efforts to provide the much-needed service to essential service and residents,” said Motlhabane Ramashi, senior manager for operations and maintenance in the Gauteng operating unit.
Eskom is working closely with the law-enforcement agencies and joint operation centres at various levels to contain the criminality.
“We call upon members of the community to take ownership of the electricity network infrastructure by safeguarding it and reporting any crimes, including illegal connections and meter bypasses by calling the Eskom contact centre on number 0860 037 566 or the Crime Line number 0800 112 722,” concluded Ramashi.
