Soshanguve Ext 14 residents have no choice but to rely on Illegal electricity connections

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llegally connected cables on the surface of the streets- in the Informal settlement of Soshanguve extension-14.

Due to lack of service delivery, people in the squatter camps in Soshanguve Ext- 14 are connecting electricity illegally, which they call ‘‘Izinyoka- nyoka” by their local slang. For them, they say it is the only source of power.

A 33-year-old Soshanguve Ext- 14 community member who cannot be named, confirmed that the community is using illegally connected electricity.

She said the community pays a monthly “maintenance” fee to those who know how to connect the electricity illegally.

“One can however not rely on the electricity because it goes on and off, and last week my TV got burnt, but we need the electricity to survive so we pay.

A 66-year-old concerned senior resident in the community, Mr Elvis Maswanganyi, said he has been staying in the community for two years and ever since, electricity has been a problem.

“There was a promising electricity project but the municipality just installed electricity poles and disappeared, and we are still waiting till today,” he said.

A 41-year-old single mother of two, living in a one-roomed shack, said the illegal electricity connectors become ruthless to them when they fail to pay.

“I have been in the dark with my children for a month because I could not pay and the illegal connectors ruthlessly disconnected my cable.

“I want the City of Tshwane to know what is happening here so that they can supply us with proper electricity,” she said.