Report Illegal Connections Urges Ward 114 Councillor in Zandspruit

Ward 114 councillor David Mangena is advocating for Zandspruit residents to acquire legal electrical connections to enable prompt response from Eskom during power outages.

The plea comes in the wake of a prolonged power outage that left the local community without electricity for over 72 hours. Due to non-payment issues, many individuals were unable to lodge complaints with Eskom.

Councillor David Mangena emphasised that Eskom required reference numbers before addressing the issue at hand.

“The majority of residents do not purchase electricity. Consequently, they face difficulties in contacting Eskom or registering their complaints during power outages. Residents need to ensure they obtain legal connections to facilitate smoother processes with Eskom,” stated Mangena.

While residents with legal connections were able to file complaints, their concerns often took a backseat as Eskom prioritised reported issues from paying customers.

Moses Makobela, a small business owner, expressed his frustration with the recurring disruptions caused by power outages.

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“It hampers business operations and results in loss of valuable work time. I pay for my electricity, and it’s unfair for me to be affected because others do not fulfill their obligations. I understand that access to electricity is a basic necessity for the underprivileged, but I believe everyone should do the right thing,” Makobela voiced.

Makobela further highlighted corruption as a significant contributing factor hindering Eskom’s ability to address and resolve outages promptly. He expressed concern that only a few individuals benefit from such situations while the majority suffers.

As a possible solution, Mangena proposed the establishment of a local centre to enhance communication between the community and Eskom. The centre would serve as a hub for logging complaints, and technicians attending to issues in Zandspruit would maintain a logbook for monitoring purposes.

Eskom spokesperson Amanda Qithi acknowledged the outage in Zandspruit, attributing it to a fault in the feeder supplying the area.

Qithi emphasised that Eskom conducts network audits as part of its operations. Customers found to have tampered with meters, illegally connected, bypassed payment systems, or failed to purchase electricity from authorised vendors are subject to disconnection.

“We extend our gratitude to customers who diligently pay for the electricity they consume and those who purchase electricity tokens from authorised vendors. We urge them to report any instances of illegal electricity-related activities in their community to the crime line number. These unlawful activities have detrimental effects on the electricity supply, leading to unplanned and prolonged outages, as seen in this case,” Qithi commented.

For reporting illegal activities related to electricity: Eskom Crime line – 0800 112 722

Source: Residents urged to report illegal connections

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Photo: Facebook / @David Mangena Ward 114/Zandspruit and Cosmo City Concillor