City Power has successfully cut off illegal connections and removed around 10,000 kilogrammes worth of aerial bundle cables (ABC), bare wires, and aluminium cable conductors worth an estimated R500,000 along London Road in Alexandra recently.
This joint operation, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, is part of the entity’s ongoing efforts to reduce excessive electricity consumption, especially in high-density areas with concerning usage levels that continue to overload the electricity equipment.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena says illegal connections often result in continuous power trips, plunging parts of the township into darkness.
“Today, we are visiting Alexandra township along London Road, where we are targeting an informal settlement that is built next to the school.” These connections remain a serious problem that requires a coordinated approach to curbing them.”
The area is unsuitable for electrification due to the dangerous proximity of shacks that are built beneath city power’s transmission lines.”
Mangena added that residents living in Alexandra face significant risks, as evidenced by multiple fatal electrocutions in the previous financial year caused by unsafe connections.
City Power’s ongoing load reduction campaign forms part of our stringent measures to address the escalating risk of grid collapse. The strain on the network had reached alarming levels necessitating drastic action to prevent a citywide blackout.
Illegal connections, theft, and vandalism continue to significantly contribute to the loss of supply for paying customers and revenue for City Power. There is an increase in the number of illegal connections and the expansion of back-room dwellers, which negatively affect the provision of services to paying customers. These illegal connections and backroom dwellers lead to an overloaded network, which further compromises the health of the grid.