GAUTENG Premier Panyaza Lesufi told Soweto residents that if illegal connections are not dealt with, the problems faced by communities regarding power supply will always be there.
This is after residents of Dobsonville, Emdeni, Braamfischerville and Zola gathered at the overcrowded Kopanong Community Hall on Tuesday, 14 November, to engage with the premier regarding the electricity supply challenges in their areas.
Lesufi addressed the community's energy crisis, emphasising the importance of dealing with illegal connections, managing debt, and registering indigent residents.
“We can’t have one transformer for one area. There are areas that need bigger capacity and there are areas that need small capacities, and areas that need average capacities, so we need to work on how best to deal with it," he said.
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Lesufi announced that those who are illegally connected will be given time to get connected legally.
Residents lashed out and said they have been in the dark for a long time and there seems to be no solution to their problems.
Resident Warona Skonyela accused Eskom of blaming the community for vandalism.
Another resident, Moses Mothibi, said he has been without electricity for more than six months.
Eskom customer relations manager Henry Mtshali said if people sabotage their meters, the power utility ssues out a fine for that.
