Kouga Municipality’s move to address illegal electricity connections in Sea Vista, St Francis Bay, received support from residents, while proposed plans for formalising electrical conections in informal settlements raised concerns about the potential promotion of land invasion.
In a statement released by the municipality on August 24, it said that in a bold effort to address the rising crisis of illegal electrical connections, they have rolled out a series of decisive actions to protect its communities and prevent further damage to infrastructure.
The municipality will therefore undertake key measures to deal with illegal electrical connections, including upgrading informal settlements across the region, with funding secured from the Department of Human Settlements, and re-launching a safety forum spearheaded by Executive Mayor Hattingh Bornman.
Furthermore, Kouga’s efforts to tackle illegal connections will be a focus at the upcoming Safety Summit in October, as the municipality remains dedicated to safeguarding the well-being of all residents.
“Illegal electrical connections are a severe threat to the safety of our communities and infrastructure,” Bornman said. “We are committed to combating this issue and minimising the damage it causes.”
The statement said the municipality is also working closely with the South African Police Service (SAPS) to remove illegal connections, opening several cases against illegal connectors.
This sparked intervention from SAPS, prompting the deployment of the Public Order Policing Unit (POPS) to assist with the removal of illegal connections.
The statement further indicated that in Sea Vista alone, illegal tampering with the network has led to regular power outages, costly repairs, and endangered municipal workers.
“Kouga staff have been shocked while performing their duties on multiple occasions. Fortunately, none of these incidents have been fatal, but the safety of staff cannot be compromised,” said Bornman.
“The area in question does not fall under the municipality’s jurisdiction, complicating matters further. I have written to the Minister of the Department of Public Works, Dean McPherson, to get permission to work on their property and hope to have an answer very soon. This will allow the municipality to legally connect residents to the grid.
“These illegal connectors have even acquired the equipment necessary to tamper with high-voltage infrastructure – an incredibly dangerous and unlawful practice.”
According to Bornman, the impact on the broader community has been significant, particularly for permanent legal residents who have endured nightly power outages due to illegal tampering with the electrical network.
“The municipality has faced soaring expenses, spending an average of R4 000 each week just to replace damaged circuit breakers. Vandalism and infrastructure deterioration have worsened due to the poor workmanship of those carrying out these illegal connections,” he said.
The Department of Human Settlements has, furthermore, confirmed that Sea Vista will be included in next year’s business plan, allowing for vital infrastructure upgrades to ensure a safer power supply.
“Other areas affected by illegal connections that we are actively working to resolve include Ocean View, KwaNomzamo, NoR10 and Thornhill. Additionally, the Gamtoos Valley receives its electricity directly from Eskom,” said Bornman.
“Kouga Municipality remains committed to protecting the safety and well-being of its communities, working tirelessly to combat illegal electrical connections and build a safer future for all.”
Nathaar Cupido, chairman of Sea Vista Property Owners Association, a non-profit company dedicated to dealing with socio-economic challenges in the area, said they were pleasantly surprised when they noticed the SAPS and municipality’s electrical directorate disconnecting illegal electrical connections on August 21.
“The plight of the municipal service-paying homeowners of Sea Vista Fishing Village had received this welcome sight of disconnection of illegal electrical connections,” said Cupido.
“It shows that our nagging efforts had fallen on fertile soil, and it encourages the community to have confidence in SAPS and Kouga Municipality.”
Cupido further said that the homeowners were overjoyed when they had uninterrupted power for a few hours on August 21.
Following the disconnection of illegal electrical connections by the municipality and SAPS, a counter-disconnection incident occurred, where residents from informal settlements allegedly targeted Cape St Francis’s electricity supply, resulting in a power outage that lasted over 24 hours.
While supporting the municipality’s efforts to address illegal electricity connections, Cupido expressed concerns that formalising grid connections for residents is a “short-sighted plan” and not a solution to the problem. Instead, he said he is concerned that legally connecting informal settlements to the grid could be perceived as incentivising or legitimising illegal land occupation and vandalism of municipal infrastructure, rather than holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.
“Placing electrical meters in the informal settlements will put in place infrastructure that will only make it easier for criminals to continue to steal electricity,” said Cupido.
“We cannot give kudos to criminals and terrorists. By doing this we are advocating for land invasion.”
According to the police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli, the South African Police Service is investigating a case of contravention of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act 18 of 2015, which is damage to essential infrastructure. He said the case was opened on August 21, following a joint operation between the Municipal Electricity Department, Municipal Law Enforcement, and the SAPS earlier on the same day.
“There are no arrests at this stage, and the investigation continues,” said Nkohli.
He further said that police are urging anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects to contact the investigating officer, Detective W/O Xolile Kato at 071 475 1831.
