GEORGE NEWS - A nine-year-old boy was electrocuted in Zone 8 in Thembalethu last weekend allegedly while playing with wires of an illegal electricity cable connection. This incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, 17 August.
It is alleged that the boy had been playing with electrical wires at the Gushindoda informal settlement (Mandela Village). Thembalethu Police communications officer Captain Dumile Gwavu, said the boy was taken to the Thembalethu fire station where he was declared dead on arrival.
"We are investigating the incident," said Gwavu.
Mandela Village has been subjected to many protests over electricity as residents demand that electricity be installed in their shacks, but to date no progress has been made. Residents continue with illegal installations to their shacks. These connections lie across pathways and walkways where anyone passing can easily be electrocuted.
Electricity supply expansion in George
The George Munciplaity released a statement last week saying that expansion of electricity supply to George's eastern areas is on track following the recent completion of the second phase of the installation of an important overhead line ring network.
This includes a new substation in Thembalethu. The construction of a substation in Thembalethu is expected to commence later in the 2019/20 financial year.
The new substation promises to deal with current electricity problems in the area.
Read a related article: Electrical expansion on track
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