Eskom has appealed to the public to report the theft and vandalism of electricity infrastructure, which has reached catastrophic proportions in the Gauteng province, endangering essential services and the lives of innocent people.
Eskom has reported alarming levels of damage to its network, including transformers and substations, resulting in lengthy outages for customers, including those who rely on essential services.
Wednesday, the electricity supply to Rand Water in the City of Ekurhuleni was disrupted due to the vandalism of insulators on the Mapleton line, jeopardizing the water supply for residents of Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, Lesedi, Govan Mbeki, and Thembisile Hani Local Municipalities.
“The vandalism and theft have spread to pylons, whose tower members are frequently stolen by unscrupulous criminals, resulting in the steel structures collapsing and posing a grave threat to the public.
“The vandalism and theft of infrastructure also result in a significant financial loss for the utility, which is forced to replace the infrastructure at significant and unsustainable costs, further endangering its liquidity and mandate to provide electricity,” Eskom said on Thursday.
A partnership with the public, among others, can play a crucial role in combating the scourge of such criminal practices, in which community members serve as the electricity provider’s eyes and ears.
In January 2023, three men appeared before the Roodepoort Magistrate Court after being arrested on a tip from community members for being in possession of R25.000 worth of pylon tower members.
This was achieved through collaboration with community members and other stakeholders.
Eskom requests the public’s assistance in reducing electricity-related criminal activity by reporting illegal connections, theft, and vandalism of electricity infrastructure to the Eskom crime line at 0860 112 722. –SAnews.gov.za
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