Durban - The Msunduzi Municipality has raised concerns about illegal electricity connections in the city.
This comes after three children, aged between 6 and 8, were killed after they stepped on an illegal electricity connection on Saturday afternoon at the Jika Joe informal settlement in Pietermaritzburg.
Speaking to The Mercury yesterday, mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla said the municipality was saddened by the incident and urged communities to do away with illegal connections.
Illegal connections had not only resulted in a loss of revenue for the municipality, he said, but had also resulted in innocent lives being lost.
According to Thebolla, the municipality had identified illegal connection hot spots and a plan was being put in place to deal with them.
“Most of the people within the municipality have connected power illegally. That has hit us hard financially as we lose revenue and it also damages our infrastructure. The municipality has lost millions of rand through this criminal act.”
Local councillor Suraya Reddy said illegal connections were rife in the area.
KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala said inquest dockets were being investigated by Pietermaritzburg SAPS.
KZN MEC for Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Sipho Hlomuka called for action to be taken against those responsible for the illegal electricity connections which resulted in the incident.
“For our province to lose three children in this manner is heart-breaking and calls for a stand to be taken against the dangerous illegal electricity connections that continue to spread in our communities,” said Hlomuka.
Mercury