Daveyton motorists complain about dug up road and illegal electricity connections
Motorists are also pleading with the municipality to intervene since the road is now completely damaged.
Motorists travelling along Mocke Street in Daveyton are concerned about sections of the road which have been dug up.
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It is alleged the road has been dug up due to illegal electricity connections.
“The digging up of the road is a big concern because it damages our cars. When it’s raining we can’t even see the potholes. The road is completely damaged and it is dangerous to motorists and pedestrians when it comes to the illegal joining of cables crossing the road,” said a motorist who wanted to remain anonymous.
City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said the illegal connections are common throughout the City.
“The City is constantly running campaigns to fight illegal connections, and while we have made progress in some areas, the problem persists.
“We have a multi-disciplinary team that consists of the energy department and the EMPD. This campaign is rolled out throughout the City, throughout the year, and it will also move to the area in question.
“Unfortunately, we cannot say when as that will defeat the purpose of the exercise and alert the perpetrators. It is also advisable that communities report izinyoka to the authorities so they can be dealt with accordingly,” he added.
Dlamini stated such actions are a crime and carry a criminal sentence.
“Anyone who steals electricity does not only risk being disconnected, they face a jail sentence and/or fine of up to R22 000, while this amount can go up to R1-million for businesses,” he concluded.
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The hazardous impact of illegally connecting electricity
• Untimely death of people
• Endangers lives and can cause injuries
• Major fire hazard, thus threatening property
• Puts the electricity infrastructure under pressure, thus resulting in power outages
• Threat to household appliances
• Redirecting budgets to fix damaged infrastructure when the money could be used to provide services elsewhere
To report illegal electricity connections, residents can contact Eskom on 08600 37566 or 32211 and the City of Ekurhuleni on 086 054 3000.
Motorists are also pleading with the municipality to intervene since the road is now completely damaged.
“The City condemns any sort of vandalism on public and private property. However, policing becomes difficult because in most instances such incidents happen at night, during service delivery protests and, in some instances, people do not want to share info about the perpetrators,” said Dlamini.
Dlamini added that in a case where the road is damaged, the City strives to fix it, resources allowing.
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