Herman Mashaba on illegal electricity connections: 'SA needs the political will to serve'
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Image: Sunday Times
ActionSA leader and former Joburg mayor Herman Mashaba says SA needs political will to serve, a professional public service and private sector-led development to combat the destruction of infrastructure.
Mashaba was reacting to illegal electricity connections in Kya Sands and claimed they have resulted in some local factories closing shop because of power outages.
“Something drastic has to happen before it is too late to reverse: illegal electricity connections in Kya Sands, resulting in local factories eventually closing shop. Without the political will and application of the country's laws, our country is soon going to dearly pay,” he tweeted.
A Twitter user asked whether it was fair to blame the residents for connecting to the network illegally and not Eskom and City Power for their failure to provide power in informal settlements.
He further challenged Mashaba, who was Joburg mayor until 2019, saying the connections didn't stop with him at the helm.
Shouldn't @CityPowerJhb be electrifying the area to end these illegal connections? I just want to blame both city power and ESKOM for failing to electrify certain areas thus avoiding this illegal practice. @HermanMashaba, you've been a mayor and these connections didn't stop.
— Maxwell Mthembu (@MaxwellJabu2kk) February 14, 2021
Mashaba said his mayorship alone could not have stopped the illegal connections.
We will only win this destruction of our infrastructure when we have:
— Herman Mashaba (@HermanMashaba) February 14, 2021
- Political will to serve
- Professional public service
- Uncaptured criminal justice system to exercise consequences for corruption
- Controlled borders
- Private sector led development
- Educated society https://t.co/ZasrL5E3i9
Many blamed Eskom for its failure to provide electricity.
Its not politics its @Eskom_SA being weak. They must cut off illegal connections and inspect weekly with the help of police. Its as simple as that, however the so called localislzed oad reduction helps them to meet energy demand and avoid national load shedding!!
— Dee (@D_Selai) February 14, 2021
Interesting. Just shows how double standards u can be. As mayor u have been to Kya Sands failed to resolve the issue, allowed illegal connections to continue, today u have turned around. It’s always been too late all along and u know it
— Charles Mbale (@charlesmbale) February 14, 2021
It is a pandemic of a special kind! The country's whole infrastructure is stolen, let alone being vandalized!!!
— Tumelo Pilane (@TumeloPilane6) February 14, 2021
People need electricity. If the government won't provide, they must do what they need to do. Your focus is on YT business, and not people who are deprived of basic needs
— Kgosi👑 (@kgosi_yaBakwena) February 14, 2021
Do you again blame foreigners?😂😂😂
— Mthwakazian #Demloot (@Nkomo_Yengwayo) February 14, 2021
In December last year, City Power and Eskom cracked down on illegal power connections in formal and informal settlements.
This came after the power utility did an audit in the Waterfall Estate in Midrand, where it found that some residents had connected to the electricity network illegally. Eskom’s Ronel Kotze said some residents were disconnected from the network.
“Eskom is losing millions per year due to illegal connections to the network. We find that customers are prepared to pay someone to illegally connect them rather than to pay Eskom for the consumption,” Kotze said.
Isaac Mangena of City Power said Eskom lost about R2bn in non-technical losses which included illegal connections. He said the revenue could have been used for infrastructure development.
Among hotspots, he said, are informal settlements such as Alexandra and Rabie Ridge in Midrand.
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