City Power disconnected the illegal electricity supply at Princess Informal Settlement in Roodepoort on Tuesday during a cut-off operation.
The operation also led to the confiscation of over 150 kilograms of aluminium wires worth half a million.
The disconnection operation targeted illegal connections within the informal settlement, including a panel beater, bakery and crèche along Albertina Sisulu Road, among other properties.
During the cut-off operation, the power utility discovered that a network of aluminium wires were illegally connected to the local streetlights, which ran through fences.
City Power spokesperson, Isaac Mangena, sounded the alarm about illegal connections endangering people’s lives.
Mangena said several people have been electrocuted, including children and the elderly due to illegal connections at Princess Informal Settlement.
“These illegal connections; often tapped from formalised houses and nearby businesses, have raised concerns about the safety risks and strain on the network,” said Mangena.
Mangena emphasised that electricity theft financially impacts City Power’s purse, and severely damages energy infrastructure which can overload equipment and increase the risk of fires.
“This can result in widespread outages and prolonged delays in repairs,” said Mangena.
City Power is actively working with law enforcement agencies to address the growing issue of electricity theft.
“Increased efforts are underway to combat electricity theft, particularly in areas like Princess Informal Settlement, where illegal connections lead to overloaded circuits,” said Mangena.
Moreover, City Power introduced load reduction a few months ago in efforts to curb excessive energy consumption in high-density areas.
This would have led to major revenue losses because damaged infrastructure must be replaced.
Mangena mentioned Princess Informal Settlement residents applied for prepaid meters at the Roodepoort Service Delivery Centre (SDC) during last year's token identifier (TID) rollover project.
“City Power has already completed two phases of the electrification project within Princess Informal Settlement, and is awaiting approval from the Department of Human Settlements to formalise connections for the section without electricity,” said Mangena.
The power utility is also implementing microgrid solutions to provide reliable energy for residents across Johannesburg.
Microgrids are small local electricity grids powered by renewable resources, which can operate independently from the main network.
Mangena said 14 informal settlements are to benefit from microgrid solutions this year.
“The ultimate goal is to electrify all informal settlements across the City of Johannesburg, reducing the cost of unserved energy and curbing electricity theft.
“This approach will help manage capacity while continuing to supply electricity to all customers,” he said.
Mangena further urged the public to report suspicious electricity theft activities in order to maintain a sustainable power supply.
“City Power remains committed to providing reliable and safe electricity services. However, illegal connections undermine these efforts and threaten the integrity of our network,” he said.
The Star
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