Eskom appeals to customers not to go for illegal connections

South Africa

Johannesburg -As more people find themselves in desperate financial times due to the coronavirus pandemic, Eskom is appealing to consumers not to resort to illegally connecting their homes to the grid.

The company has seen an increase in illegal connections to bypass payment in areas including Hillbrow and Soweto.

This has led to some sub-stations being overloaded and exploding.

Eskom has decided to implement rolling blackouts in affected areas.

More people are in a difficult financial position, with some having to decide whether to pay for electricity or buy food. Eskom said they have a program in place to assist those in distress to avoid anyone resorting to crime.

“There are programmes where households that earn R3,200 can go and receive basic electricity,” said Eskom spokesperson Sikhonathi Mantshantsha.

The utility said it appreciated that many were under financial strain, but this should not be used to commit a crime and bypass the system.

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