GEORGE NEWS - Residents in parts of Thembalethu were again without electricity for almost four day after illegal connections cause damages to a mini-substation.
In a statement this afternoon George Municipality said it continues to battle with ongoing illegal connections and urged residents to report incidents to the municipality or police as soon as it happens.
“Illegal connections … most recently caused approximately R65 000 worth of damage to a mini-substation in Asazani this past week with the power remaining off from 3 August and only due to be reconnected by Thursday 6 August,” said municipal spokesperson Chantel Edwards-Klose.
“In terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, George Municipality has a responsibility to maintain a safe electrical network and for that reason a service provider has been appointed to clear illegal connections, on an as-and-when basis. Municipal officials are unable to work on, or maintain the network unless all illegal connections on the line have been cleared. The repair work to the mini-substation in Area 4 started on Monday.”
Acting director of Electrotechnical Services, Paul Gerber, asked that law-abiding citizens report illegal connection activities to the police as soon as they see them taking place. “The delay in repair work means that each time, paying consumers are left without electricity for days while we try to secure and make safe the lines to work on them,” he said.
“The dangers of illegal connections have consistently been re-emphasised to the communities of George, with such actions having cost several lives in 2019. Since February 2020, several charges have been laid against individuals caught making illegal connections. In terms of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act 18 of 2015, a maximum term of imprisonment of thirty (30) years can be given, as the interference with, and damage to municipal property, can be regarded as sabotage.”
Edwards-Klose said the municipality will continue to act decisively in such matters. She emphasised the well-known fact that the act of making and illegal connection puts the perpetrator in danger of electrocution, risking injury and death to themselves as well as the rest of the community.
“These connections lie across pathways and walkways where anyone passing can easily be electrocuted,” she said.
An electricity connection is considered illegal when it is connected to the George municipal network without the municipality’s permission. This applies to wires that are connected to pole-mounted transformers, pole kiosks and overhead lines. The forms of electricity theft include illegal connections, illegal electrification schemes and meter tampering and bypassing.
“These illegal electrical thefts are mostly in areas where illegal informal structures are built,” said Edwards-Klose.
Please report illegal connections on 044 803 9222 or 044 801 9222 / 044 801 6300 (after hours) or to the nearest police station.
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