Following a number of reported power failures in Keeshond Street, Austin View, City Power and metro police embarked on an operation to remove the illegal connections on August 16.
According to Amos Lamola from the City Power revenue protection unit, the cables were connected from an underground line from the mini-substation feeding the nearby informal settlement called ‘Floyd Shivambo’.
“The situation in Keeshond is very bad to the extent that paying customers are suffering due to power failure.”
Ward 110 councillor Angelinah Mphaho said that the power outages in the area are often the source of cable theft, not only in Austin View but also in other areas of Ward 110, resulting in an increase in cable theft.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena explained that the company is experiencing a severe problem with illegal cable connections, especially around Austin View, where people keep on connecting to City Power’s network.
He added that equipment is vandalised thereby weakening cables, and also inconveniencing those customers who pay for electricity since they would be overloaded and their electricity would trip, especially on cold days.
“This area has been too often visited by us to cut illegal connections reported by community members who suffer as a result thereof.
“We urge those communities to continue reporting these illegal cables to us. We also encourage them to alert the police, because what these illegal connectors are doing is a criminal offence – they are tampering with essential infrastructure and stealing electricity.”
Mangena said there is also a problem with people selling electricity in the area since they use their own cables to connect people without electricity in other parts of the area.
Anyone with information about those who sell electricity is encouraged to contact the police or City Power to press charges.
When asked why City Power doesn’t simply legally connect those who are illegally connecting to the grit, Mangena said it begins with the Department of Housing, not City Power.
“A person staying on someone else’s land cannot [have their places] electrified until we get approval from the department that they [their places] can be electrified. By electrifying these people’s places, we are condoning illegal activities, and they could also be sitting on a natural disaster in the form of a volcanic eruption, a dolomite mountain, or wetlands.”
He added that City Power will not stop removing the illegal cables and that all the cables that were removed in Keeshond Street were taken to City Power in Booysens.
“It is our intention to continue doing these operations because we have a team within City Power that is tasked with managing the cut-offs. Known as the revenue protection team, their job is to make sure that those who are stealing electricity are cut off and penalised for connecting themselves illegally.”
Metro police spokesperson Officer Xolani Fihla applauded the collaboration between the metro by-law management unit and City Power and said the operation is key in ensuring that law and order are maintained in the city of Johannesburg.
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