Teenager dies while hooking up illegal electricity

22 August 2016 - 16:55 By TMG Digital

A 17-year-old was electrocuted while trying to re-install an illegal electricity connection in Philippi this morning."The young man and a friend tried to switch on the power supply on a pole-mounted transformer in Olieboom Road near the Jim se Bos informal settlement in Philippi at approximately 10:00 after the circuit breaker tripped as a result of overloading from numerous illegal connections‚" the City of Cape Town said in a statement on Monday. According to the victim’s friend‚ he climbed onto the poles that hold up the transformer and while trying to switch on the electricity supply‚ he was electrocuted.The teenager was declared dead by medics who arrived on scene.An inquest docket has been opened."This is one of the tragic consequences of illegal electricity connections. We urge members of the public to always steer clear of electricity infrastructure and not to be engaged in the installation of illegal connections because of the associated dangers‚" said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Utility Services‚ Alderman Ernest Sonnenberg."Philippi Farms is one of the hot spots for illegal connections‚ but every time the City has removed the illegal and unsafe electricity connections‚ members of the public have reinstated the connections after the officials have moved off site. Sadly‚ this incident underscores the ongoing challenges we face in this and other areas‚" he said.Three years ago‚ a 12-year-old boy was electrocuted in the same area after falling on an illegal electricity connection. A criminal case was opened against the owner of the dwelling‚ but the case was dismissed.Jim se Bos and the Egoli informal settlement are both situated on private land in the Schaapkraal area and as a result‚ cannot be electrified. "The community has unfortunately resorted to connecting their structures illegally to the grid and vandalising distribution infrastructure in the area. This is also affecting power supply to neighbouring communities on a regular basis‚" Sonnenberg said. Eskom on Monday launched a National Electricity Safety Week to highlight the danger of illegal electricity connections.“Public fatalities and injuries due to the unsafe use of electricity remains a major problem. The majority of these incidents are related to contact made with electricity and illegal connections. Most disturbing is the fact that many of those killed or injured were children‚” the energy utility said in a statement‚ ahead of a visit by Eskom officials to the Zandspruit informal settlement near Honeydew‚ Johannesburg‚ on Monday.The power utility wants people to know how to identify the dangers and what to do if or when they spot them.Through this campaign‚ Eskom also seeks to encourage all community members to report any unsafe conditions or connections they come across by calling 08600 ESKOM (37566). This includes any cases of dangerously exposed or low hanging cables‚ illegal connections‚ vandalism and cable theft.“In the case of illegal connections‚ danger is posed not only to the people who connect to the Eskom network illegally‚ but also to the rest of their communities. Moreover‚ the illegal connections draw more electricity from the network than anticipated‚ which causes power failures and inconveniences to law abiding paying customers‚” an official said...

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