Missing the point of connection?
In Alex, illegal power connections can be seen at every turn, and it is easy to mistake cables running across the road as speed humps.
In the city, cables can be seen swinging from wall to wall. It does not matter where one looks, the reality of poverty and desperation can be seen just about everywhere.
It is no secret that illegal electricity connections are common practice. It has become so bad, that some residents don’t even seem to be ashamed about the fact that they are breaking the law.
There is a common joke that does the rounds every now and then about the man whose TV goes on and off according to the colour of the robot his TV is connected to… While the joke is amusing, it does not seem as if the issue is being taken seriously by those who are guilty of breaking the law.
Last week, the Red Ants evicted squatters from a building at the corner of Plein and Quartz streets in the Joburg CBD. The ‘residents’ were furious about the eviction, but when one saw the photos of the state of the building, it’s a wonder the building is still standing and had not caught alight.
The Reds Ants should be applauded for removing people out of danger’s way – but instead they are abused and told they are destroying people’s homes.
It seems like a bit of a Catch 22. The residents moved into the building because they had nowhere else to go, but staying in the building is risking one’s life. Moving people out of the building is good – but where are they meant to go?
There are so many questions regarding the illegal occupation of buildings, but the biggest of them would surely be ‘how on earth did the situation get so bad to begin with?’
Empty buildings are scattered across Johannesburg. Surely government, municipalities and private entities can come to some sort of solution to make more buildings habitable, with a legal pay-as-you-go electricity connection and find a system where residents can become, well … residents?
