Illegal electricity and water re-connections are on the increase throughout the country, as more and more residents are failing to pay their utility accounts, resulting in services being cut off by the relevant local authorities.
Locally, the electricity and water supply to a number of properties was disconnected recently by the Tshwane Council in a blitz, wherein it was found that property owners had illegally reconnected supply after being cut for high amounts owing to the Council. This past Saturday (July 27) a local resident blew the whistle on four suspects, claiming to be contractors, who were busy on the corner of 19th Avenue and Emerald Str trying to reconnect electricity illegally to a house that is partly used for business including a salon and a tuckshop. The four ‘contractors’ using an unmarked bakkie were apprehended after the resident contacted the local CPF. The resident
whose identity is known to the Laudium Sun, but preferred to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, told the Laudium Sun, “I got a phone call from my wife, on Saturday at around 5pm, while I was at a funeral, that there were people outside our house threatening her. As I was attending a funeral outside town, I could not have made it back home to assist her, so I called one of the guys from the CPF to intervene urgently as my wife was panicking, telling me that there were four males in front of our yard climbing on the electric pole and tampering with the electric cables. She said that when she decided to confront them and ask them what they were doing, they started threatening her, pointing fingers at her. I knew that if I called the police there was a chance that they would only respond after many hours or even not at all, thus because of the urgency I decided to rather call a CPF member.”
According to the CPF, this is not the first time that these four so called ‘contractors’ who mainly operate at night, have been hired by residents to illegally connect their electricity. Shaheen Wahab, chair of the Laudium CPF, told the Laudium Sun, “At first the police did not want to open a case as they said that the CPF was not the owner of the electricity supply and that a designated official from the Council should open the case. We had to call the police General in the area, to make sure
that the local police opened a case.” The matter has also been referred to the TMPD and the City of Tshwane Electricity Dept. The Laudium CPF also released a statement to the community stating, “Illegal electricity connections pose significant risks, including electrical fires, electrocution, and damage to the electrical grid, all of which endanger the lives and properties of our community members. The Laudium CPF issued a stern warning to anyone engaging in or considering such illegal activities: you will be caught, and you will face the full force of the law. We urge all residents to report any illegal electricity connections or suspicious activities to law enforcement agencies immediately. Your vigilance and cooperation are crucial in maintaining the safety and integrity of our community’s infrastructure.” ‘The Laudium Sun was informed on Monday that the four ‘contractors’ were allegedly out on the street again and thus contacted Mohammed Noor of the Ldm CPF to find out whether the four appeared in court and what was the outcome.
Mohammed promised to get back to the Laudium Sun, but by yesterday (Thursday) Mohammed had still not sent a response.