Eskom says it has made several unsuccessful attempts over the years to reach an agreement with residents of Lion Park in Camperdown, near Pietermaritzburg, on a legal electricity supply.
The utility says the main challenge is that the land is held under a trust and is zoned only for agricultural use.
Eskom’s Senior Manager for Retail, Dade Mbhele, says the utility remains committed to engaging with the community while addressing illegal electricity connections.
Mbhele says, “We have been dealing with the trust which is responsible for this area, we have had several engagements to say we cannot continue with a situation where electricity to the measure of R12 million and above is being consumed illegally by this community. We have put several offers on the table with no success to say that what we could do is provide a bulk supply in the temporary measure while they are getting their zoning done.”
Residents of Lion Park have barricaded major roads with burning tyres and stones after Eskom disconnected illegal electricity connections to nearly 2 000 households in the area.
Eskom says the community has been illegally connected to its electricity network since 2014, resulting in losses of more than R12 million a year.
Residents have disputed the claims, saying they have repeatedly applied for legal electricity connections but that their applications have been delayed because of a land ownership dispute involving local trusts.
Community representative Sandile Ndlovu says, “It is so concerning and touching from us on the community side because we have several meetings with Eskom, we have proof of email but seemingly they are on the other side or someone is behind all of this from blocking the community from all the efforts we have put for getting legal electricity in our area. We have old people who are on high risks medication. But they are ignoring all those things as if we are disputing that we have to pay for electricity.”
Eskom pulls the plug on illegal connections in Pietermaritzburg:
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