“This incident could have been avoided. Our preliminary results indicate that the deceased allegedly climbed on the transformer and made contact with one of the phases and the earth wire as he was trying to illegally connect a broken jumper on the network”, says Motlhabane Ramashi, the Maintenance and Operations Senior Manager in the Gauteng Operating Unit.
Eskom is particularly concerned about the increase in vandalism, theft and illegal operations on its electricity infrastructure in residential areas. The power utility says illegal activities compromise public safety and also result in prolonged power outages as they impede its efforts to provide consistent power supply to customers.
Eskom has been engaging with customers in Sebokeng regarding continuous efforts to ensure the networks are safe for both employees and members of the public. “We continue to experience illegal operations, illegal reconnections and tampering with electricity infrastructure, and all of this compromise the integrity of our network and our ability to provide uninterrupted supply due to repeated equipment failure. This is not only illegal, but also unsafe and may lead to injuries and loss of innocent lives. We will continue with our efforts to inform and educate members of the public about the dangers associated with illegal operations and also work with the law enforcement agencies to bring a stop to them,” says Ramashi.
“We urge all those who may be aware of infrastructure theft incidents, to play a role in the fight against such serious crimes by sending their anonymous tip-offs to the Eskom Crime Line: 0800 11 27 22. We can all make a difference by preventing perpetrators of infrastructure and electricity theft from stealing by reporting them,” Ramashi concluded.
