Eskom's urgent plea: Report unsafe electricity connections now!

Eskom, South Africa's power utility, is urging citizens to report illegal electricity connections, exposed wires, and damaged electrical infrastructure immediately, as part of Electricity Safety Month. These hazards pose serious risks to communities, electricity workers, and contractors. Eskom's Senior Manager for Occupational Health and Safety, Miranda Moahlodi, reported that about 200 public safety incidents have been linked to electricity-related issues.

Illegal connections, low-hanging wires, cable theft, infrastructure vandalism, and attacks on electricity workers are major concerns.

Moahlodi emphasized that the true number of incidents could be higher due to unreported hazards, especially when communities protect illegal connections. These risks include electrocution, fires, overloaded networks, and damage to essential services. Poorly installed, overloaded, or tampered electrical lines contribute significantly to fires in informal settlements and residential areas.

Eskom is promoting the "See-Act-Immediately" approach for residents to follow when they encounter dangerous electrical infrastructure. This includes avoiding contact with fallen or low-hanging wires, open electrical boxes, damaged meter boxes, vandalized transformers, or unsafe connections running through trees, streets, or rooftops. Residents are advised to keep others away, warn them, and report the hazard.

Communities are encouraged to support Eskom's teams when illegal connections are removed, as this work aims to prevent injuries and deaths. While disconnections can be challenging for affected communities, Eskom's priority is to safeguard both the electrical network and its employees. The utility warned that vandalism, cable theft, and illegal electricity operations can lead to prolonged outages, damage essential services, and expose workers and the public to potentially fatal risks.