Morninghill and Senderwood residents secured electricity boxes in their areas themselves to avoid fuse theft.
The City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) has, however, urged residents not to lock council equipment themselves.
“The theft of fuses is an unfortunate countrywide phenomenon. The CoE is no exception. There’s continual engagement by the energy industry to look at ways using advanced technology to deal with, among others, cable and fuse theft,” said Themba Gadebe, CoE spokesperson.
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Gadebe said that there have been instances of fuse theft in the mentioned areas, but that there were also other factors contributing to power outages in the area, such as third-party service providers damaging cables, as well as cable theft.
He said that CoE is engaged in programmes to replace old meter boxes with protective structures. Gadebe added that this is an ongoing process and is dependent on the delivery of the structures and equipment and subject to the availability of resources.
Also read: Residents put a lock on “fuse” theft
“We appeal to communities to refrain from locking council equipment. Residents are not required to do so. When there is a problem at a specific box, our energy department will ensure that the box is secured even if it is on a temporary basis until the box can be replaced,” said Gadebe.
