South Africa
Eskom appeals to consumers to avoid illegal connections─── 09:08 Thu, 14 May 2020
As more people find themselves in desperate financial situations due to the impact of COVID-19, Eskom is appealing to customers not to resort to illegally connecting their homes to the grid.
The utility has seen an increase in illegal connections to bypass payment in areas including Soweto and Hillbrow.
This has now led to some substations overloading and exploding.
A decision has been taken to implement rolling blackouts in affected areas.
Now, more than ever, South Africans find themselves in difficult financial positions with some having to decide whether to pay electricity or buy food.
Eskom said it had a programme in place to help those in distress to avoid anyone resorting to crime.
Spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha said: “There are programmes where households that earn R3,200 can go and receive free basic electricity.”
Eskom said it appreciated that many were under financial strain, but this shouldn’t be used to commit a crime and bypass the system.
