ENTRY into the Egoli Informal Settlement was blocked with burning tyres by angry residents yesterday afternoon in retaliation to their illegal connections being cut.
Residents in the informal settlement took matters into their own hands by burning electricity infrastructure on Wednesday night resulting in power outages in the area.
On Wednesday afternoon, the City of Cape Town cut illegal connections in the Egoli Informal Settlement, Law Enforcement and SAPS used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd who were throwing stones at officials.
Wayne Dyason, spokesperson for Law Enforcement, said some of the residents attacked and stoned a City contractor.
He reports: “The residents stoned and threw petrol bombs at the officers. Tyres were set alight.
"There were a few arrests, but this number must still be confirmed. The protesters in the aftermath of the operation also set alight the overhead poles. This can have serious consequences for safety and electricity supply to legal customers.”
Alderman Xanthea Limberg, the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Energy said the City’s Energy Directorate removed illegal connections in the area and will continue to act on illegal connections and vandalism across the metro as the city monitors all vandalism and illegal connection hot spot areas.
She said: “This is in an effort to reduce the occurrences of power outages impacting the communities at large but also to reduce the health and safety risk for residents and especially children that could be harmed or killed by the unprotected live electrical wires that characterises illegal connections.
"The City has a zero-tolerance approach toward vandalism, theft and illegal connections and will continue to protect electricity infrastructure and supply.”
Councillor Elton Jansen said that he strongly condemns the vandalism of electricity infrastructure.
Jansen adds: “To resort to vandalism does not fast-track decisions to resolve the electricity crisis that affects the residents in Kraal and Boundary Road in particular.
"The City has in the last couple of months in particular considered various ways and avenues to resolve the electricity crisis in the area.
"The ongoing power outages that especially the Kraal Road residents have experienced is as a direct result of the illegal connections at the Egoli Informal Settlement.
"I have requested that an urgent legal opinion be obtained as to what the City can do to provide electricity to the Egoli Informal Settlements, which will - in my opinion - solve the immediate Electricity problem for all.
"Egoli is on private property, and without the permission of the property owner the City cannot provide electricity, which leads to illegal connections.
"I am committed to seeing the electricity crisis in Kraal Road resolved. This matter is currently receiving the attention of all senior officials."
He said that he is pushing for a more permanent solution for all parties.