GEORGE NEWS - The George Municipality has vowed to continue maintaining a safe electrical network by clearing illegal connections in Thembalethu and the surrounding areas, and has appointed a service provider for this purpose.
Illegal connections were at the heart of several upheavals last year, with the municipality having to deal with opposing factions of Thembalethu residents.
Residents of formal houses in Thembalethu complained to the municipality a number of times that their electricity supply was being interrupted by the illegal connections made in informal settlements such as Zone 8 and others.
This caused tension between the two groups and local leaders had to intervene.
The situation came to a head in October when a two-year-old toddler, Athandwa Lali, died after being electrocuted due to an illegal power connection in Dube Village informal settlement, Thembalethu.
The news of Athandwa's death caused a public outcry from the community, government and politicians condemning illegal connections.
Athandwa's death was the fourth that came as a direct result of illegal electricity connections in the George area since the start of last year. The three other victims were two adults and another child.
In November, large parts of Thembalethu, including Zone 7 and Zone 8, were left without electricity when fuses blew due to illegal electricity connections. The George Municipality was forced to cut the power and remove all illegal connections from the line before power could be restored.
Legal responsibility
George Municipal spokesperson Chantel Edwards-Klose said in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the municipality has a responsibility to maintain a safe electrical network. For this reason a service provider has been appointed to clear illegal connections as and when required. "Municipal officials are unable to work on, or maintain the network unless all illegal connections on the line have been cleared," she said.
"The practice of illegal connections is taken seriously by the municipality and the dangers have consistently been re-emphasised to the communities with such actions having cost lives in 2019. The municipality is working closely with a number of stakeholders, including law enforcement agencies, to address the matter."
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