The Ekurhuleni metro has admitted that illegal electricity connections has become rife in the city, saying authorities are working on a plan that can help them deal with the widespread theft of power.
This came after residents of Lilianton in Boksburg critricised the municipality for not acting swiftly against those stealing electricity along Duncan Road as and when residents report the illegal activities.
Residents of the area had accused the Ekurhuleni metro of being slow in dealing with electricity thieves, saying officials are also consistently snubbing the community’s call for decisive actions against the perpetrators.
The Ekurhuleni metro spokesperson, Themba Gadebe, stated the City is dealing with the power thefts in Lilianton, saying officials attended to the complaints on June 11, and a new mini-substation was installed.
However, it was discovered that the new mini-substation had been vandalised when officials returned to the spot three days later.
“We held a small operation on August 13 to remove the illegal connections at Duncan Road. We are planning a major operation to remove all illegal connections in this area as soon as resources become available,” said Gadebe.
The metro added that it has a better chance of winning this war if the community help to safeguard the infrastructure and pro-actively report the perpetrators.
Residents, however, claimed they have for years been trying to get the metro’s energy department to devise emergency actions that are quick and effective to stop the ongoing plundering of the power utility in Duncan and Main Reef roads.
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