City Power Cracks Down on Illegal Connections in Kya Sands Pipeline Settlement, Seizes R250,000 Worth of Stolen Cables
City Power has taken firm action against illegal electricity connections in the Pipeline Informal Settlement in Kya Sands, Johannesburg, cutting off unauthorised supplies during an operation on Wednesday, 1 October 2025. The move is part of the utility’s ongoing fight to curb power theft, which causes frequent outages and hits paying customers hard. During the raid, officials and law enforcement seized about 150kg of aluminium cables worth at least R250,000, often stolen from streetlight setups. This highlights how syndicates are tapping into the grid, charging residents high fees while damaging infrastructure. With Johannesburg facing rising vandalism and revenue losses, such operations aim to bring back reliable power for all.
The settlement, home to many families in makeshift homes, has long struggled with unsafe wiring that poses fire risks and overloads the system. Residents say they turn to these illegal links due to high costs and slow formal connections, but City Power warns it endangers lives and drains resources. As the city pushes for better governance, this crackdown shows a hands-on approach to fix deep-rooted problems. This article looks at the operation’s details, the syndicate’s tricks, effects on locals, and what it means for Johannesburg’s power future.
The Cut-Off Operation: What Happened on the Ground
City Power teams, backed by police, swooped into Pipeline Informal Settlement early Wednesday to dismantle a web of illegal connections. They found homes hooked up to streetlight poles, using stolen cables to light up passages and houses. Officials pulled out bundles of aluminium wires, weighing around 150kg and valued at R250,000, meant for public lighting. Streetlight fittings turned up in several homes, showing how thieves strip public assets to sell private power.
Spokesperson Isaac Mangena explained that these setups explain why nearby areas keep facing theft and breakdowns. “In addition, several streetlight fittings were found in various houses across the area, suggesting that individuals have been illegally setting up medium-voltage distribution, connecting streetlights, and ensuring illumination within the informal settlement passages. This explains why the surrounding areas continue to experience challenges with theft and vandalism, affecting the streetlight infrastructure,” Mangena said.
The team also noted how these links overload transformers, leading to blackouts that hit everyone, including those who pay their bills. A few weeks back, a mini-substation in the area caught fire after overload from illegal taps, cutting power to hundreds. No arrests happened on the spot, but the case is now with police for probes into the culprits.
Syndicate Exposed: How Criminals Profit from Power Theft
Behind the illegal wires lies a syndicate charging residents steep fees for hook-ups. Mangena revealed they ask R1,000 upfront per household, plus R300 a month for ongoing supply. “Reports indicate that these syndicates are connecting residents to multiple power sources and charging them R1000 as a connection fee, followed by R300 per month, per household for electricity supply,” he added.
This racket not only robs City Power of revenue but also puts lives at risk with shoddy wiring that can spark fires or shocks. In crowded settlements like Pipeline, where homes are close together, one fault can spread disaster fast. Syndicates often use stolen cables from streetlights or substations, leaving public areas dark and unsafe at night.
Police are digging into these groups, known for extortion and violence to protect their turf. Similar ops in other Johannesburg spots, like Diepsloot and Alexandra, have uncovered ties to bigger crime rings. City Power says these thefts cost them millions yearly, money that could fix ageing grids or add new connections.
Impact on Residents and Paying Customers
For Pipeline residents, the cut-off means going back to candles, generators, or no power at all, hitting daily life hard. Cooking, studying, and staying safe become tougher without lights. Many say they pay the syndicates because formal connections take too long or cost too much upfront. But others welcome the raid, tired of outages from overloads.
Paying customers in nearby formal areas bear the brunt too, facing blackouts when the grid trips. Mangena stressed: “Illegal connections result in constant power outages, affecting paying customers.” In Kya Sands, businesses lose trade during cuts, and homes deal with spoiled food or no hot water.
Health risks rise too, with no power for fridges storing medicine or clean water pumps. Community leaders call for faster rollouts of legal, affordable options like prepaid meters to cut the need for illegal links.
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