There was high police presence in Mayfair on Thursday morning as City Power got ready to conduction an operation to cut off illegal connections in the area.
The power utility would also audit bypassed meters in the Crosby and Mayfair west area.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said Crosby was know for its illegal connections, vandalism as well as meter bypassing by formal houses and businesses.
“The operation is expected to focus on both business and residential customers. We are losing millions in revenue as the City and the illegal connections are putting strain on our infrastructure.
“These illegal connections are also very dangerous to the community and children as they have been feeling the shocks from their appliances due to vandalism.
“This causes the substations and the meters to trip and blow resulting in a shorter life span of our infrastructure,” said Mangena
City Power was in its quest to clamp on illegal connections were supported by the South African Police Services, the Passengers Rail Agency of South Africa and private security.
Earlier this month, newly-weds Zaheer and Nabeela Sarang died after they were electrocuted at their home in Mayfair.
The incident was caused by a faulty electrical connection due to illegal connections.
Mangena said they did an investigation and discovered that the couple lived in a cottate at the back of the house and where getting electricity from the main house whose meter had been bridged.
“Immediately where there is vandalism or tampering, there is already a malfunction. We checked the meter and found that the live earth (wire) was not there. If he is not there, it creates shocks. You might touch a door and be shocked.
Mangena said the meter was vandalized because the family did not want to pay for the electricity.
“They weren’t buying electricity after they vandalized the meter and that can only be the reason there was an electric shock.
“Already, the meter and the box were weakened without a ground wire. They hooked up on it and provided a cable to the newlyweds, and that’s what we think shocked the couple.
City Power has since disconnected electricity from the property.
IOL
Credit IOL