#blackprivilage | Radio 94.7 FM

Eskom and municipalities lose about R4bn per annum, due to electricity theft. The power utility said over the past three years it has disconnected 76 931 illegal power connections. Informal settlements in Protea South and Kwa-Thema are the areas where illegal power cables stretch like cobwebs to provide electricity to more than 6000 residents.

A Gauteng community has recently staged a protest at Eskom’s doors to have their power restored.

The Winterveldt community activists have been protesting at the Eskom office in Menlyn. The community representatives launched a sit-in since Tuesday 2 July.

This followed a meeting in which Eskom had stated that they would not restore power to areas where residents were neither buying nor paying for electricity services.

No electricity for Gauteng community
Certain areas in the Winterveldt community have been struggling without electricity. The loss of electricity was allegedly due to the faulty
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Government wants townships to use more electricity – and may give them one free unit for every unit bought

Informal settlements may get one free unit of electricity for every unit purchased in a bid to increase power usage and reduce air pollution in townships.

In its strategy to address air pollution in dense low-income settlements, published in the government gazette on Friday, the department said air pollution is costing the state up to R2 billion annually in health-related costs.

Wood, coal and paraffin burning causes massive pollution in South Africa’s townships. The department hopes households can be encouraged to use electricity instead by making it cheaper.

“One example could be a subsidy that gives the user one (1) unit of electricity for every unit purchased. Alternatively, a stepped tariff which provides indigent households with the first specific kWh of electricity per month for free and charge a stepped tari
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