By Buziwe Nocuze
Residents of the Tsunami informal settlement in Delft, Cape Town, are without electricity after Eskom cut their illegal power connections.
One resident, who didn’t want to be named, said Eskom should warn people before cutting the cables.
“Yes, we are connecting illegally because we need electricity. Eskom should give us proper electricity so we don’t have to do this,” the resident said.
“Eskom came on Wednesday and cut our cables from the transformers, but we are already reconnecting. We know it costs money to pay people and buy cables, but we will keep doing it until we get proper electricity.”
Lonwabo Mliswa, another resident, understands why people are upset but said illegal connections are dangerous.
“I understand their need for electricity, but instead of connecting illegally, they should ask Eskom to install it properly. Illegal connections can hurt innocent people, including children,” Mliswa said.
“These connections can cause fires, and Eskom is trying to protect people. Even though residents might not agree, connecting illegally is dangerous.”
Eskom reported that their teams, along with the police and law enforcement, cut 100 illegal cables in five streets in the settlement.
Promise Ntuli, senior maintenance and operations manager for Eskom in the Western Cape, said the action was part of Eskom’s effort to stop illegal connections.
“These connections can hurt people and cause transformers to break down, leading to long power outages.”
Pictured above: Residents of Tsunami settlement in Delft, Cape Town, were left without power after Eskom cut their illegal electricity connections.
Source: Supplied
