OFFICIALS FEAR VIOLENCE
Cape Town battles illegal power supply
The city has been struggling to curb the problem of illegal connections mainly because of resistance from communities
The City of Cape Town is battling to prevent illegal electricity connections to the grid and the problem is becoming worse. The city has been struggling to curb the problem mainly because of resistance from communities. Illegal electricity connections cost the city about R17m in 2015-16. According to power utility Eskom, illegal connections remain one of the leading causes of electricity-related injuries and deaths in SA. Last week, attempts by City of Cape Town officials to disconnect illegal users resulted in violent protest action in Schaapkraal and the Philippi Horticultural Area. The area is home to Egoli and Jim se Bos informal settlements. According to the city, both of these settlements are on privately owned land and, therefore, cannot be electrified without legal agreement from the landowner, which has not been provided. As a result, illegal connections abound, resulting in the vandalism of electricity infrastructure in the area, as well as disruptions to the power supply ...
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