City Power successfully disconnected illegal connections and removed about 10,000kg of Aerial Bundle Cables (ABC), bare wires, and aluminium cable conductors worth an estimated R500,000 along London Road in Alexandra.
This joint operation, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, was conducted on Friday, 2 August 2024. It is part of ongoing efforts to reduce excessive electricity consumption, especially in high-density areas with concerning usage levels that overload the electrical equipment.
Illegal connections, theft, and vandalism significantly contribute to the loss of supply for paying customers and revenue for City Power. There is an increase in illegal connections and the expansion of backroom dwellers, negatively affecting service provision to paying customers. These illegal connections and backroom dwellers overload the network, further compromising the grid’s health.
City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava reiterated the power utility’s core mandate to provide sustainable, affordable, safe, and reliable power to Johannesburg residents.
“We are committed to providing reliable electricity to residents in the City of Johannesburg, but this cannot be achieved without community cooperation in combating illegal connections. These connections remain a serious problem that requires a coordinated approach to curb. We will continue working with law enforcement agencies to remove as many illegal connections as possible and reduce the strain on our grid,” said Mashava.
The informal settlement along London Road, targeted today, is problematic for community resistance and unauthorised electricity connections. Moreover, it is situated beneath our power servitude, carrying 88kV transmission lines. Residents are tapping into our network unlawfully, stealing electricity, contributing to overloading, and leading to frequent outages. Recently, five mini substations in the area were replaced due to damage caused by these illegal connections.
This area is unsuitable for electrification due to the dangerous proximity of shacks built beneath transmission lines. Residents here face significant risks, evidenced by multiple fatal electrocutions in the previous financial year caused by unsafe connections. We will continue engaging the Human Settlements Department to house these people in safer locations.
City Power’s ongoing load reduction campaign is part of stringent measures to address the escalating risk of grid collapse. The strain on the network has reached alarming levels, necessitating drastic action to prevent a citywide blackout. Therefore, we are intensifying operations to remove illegal connections, a significant contributor to the system’s overload.
City Power has already undertaken 44 operations in informal settlements, most recently in Kanana, Rabie Ridge, where 18,000kg of bundled cables worth R1.5 million, were removed. Other informal settlements disconnected include Kapok, Viking, Ennerdale Extension 8 & 9, Riverlea, and Grobler Park, among others. We will continue to intensify these disconnection operations to reduce the burden on the grid in the coming days.
The City faces a significant challenge with over 300 informal settlements awaiting electrification. Before City Power can provide electricity, the Human Settlements Department must certify the area as habitable. Once this process is complete, and budget permits, City Power can then begin electrification.
In the previous financial year, City Power electrified several informal settlements, including Roodepoort, Slovo Park, and various infill sites like Veggieland, Princess Plot, Slovo Park, Matholesville, and Kliptown. Additionally, we have invested in microgrids, in partnership with the Gauteng provincial government, to provide off-grid solutions to some informal settlements.
City Power strongly warns Johannesburg residents against illegal connections. These connections pose severe and potentially fatal risks to innocent people.
Written by Lydia Mathobela-Nhlapo
05/08/2024
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