July 15, 2003
By Tshepiso Mogotsi
CITY POWER faces a major problem with many Alexandra residents hooked up to the electricity supply illegally, but plans are underway to reverse the trend with an R270-million improvement of the service.
The City's electricity utility took journalists on a tour of the township last Friday to point out the problems, including illegal connections, overloaded substations, an inability to collect revenue, vandalism, cable theft, and open and unsafe wiring.
But, according to City Power's Valli Padayachee, the utility is to spend R270m over the next seven years to improve the electricity grid. Work on installing a new network in Alexandra had already begun, he said.
CEO of City Power, Kenneth Mohlala, hit out at residents who were connected to the power supply illegally and blamed them for the power failures the township experienced. "This is because the electricity mini-substations are overloaded," he said.
City Power also said many residents, who were legally connected to the electricity grid, illegally supplied neighbours.
The utility had been trying for many years to remove such connections. "Before our electricians are out of the township, they're already reconnected again," Mohlala said.
According to City Power operations manager for Alexandra, Lerato Setshedi, figures indicate only 16 000 houses were registered, but the utility's records showed that more than 80 000 houses were actually using the system.
Mohlala said that people who paid for their electricity deserved a better service, while those who did not pay did not deserve to be connected. "Those who steal belong to jail," Mohlala said.
According to City Power only R200 000 a year in revenue was collected from the township residents. "It is not that people can't afford to pay," Mohlala said, adding that many inhabitants were resistant to paying for the service.
