Eskom
Eskom loses R7āÆbillion annually due to illegal connections and nonātechnical losses in Gauteng, with Soweto alone accounting for R3āÆmillion in daily revenue loss, officials revealed on Friday. The crises have forced the utility to implement load reduction across the province, leaving residents in areas like Zondi, Jabulani, and Zola frustrated by prolonged and erratic power outages ļæ¼.
As Zimbabweans gather around dwindling digital meters and torchlit corridors, the utilityās Gauteng spokesperson Amanda Qithi says the solution lies in tackling electricity theft and illegal bypasses. āCustomers need to stop bypassing their meters, they need to stop conducting illegal connections because those are the things that are causing the transformers to overload, and they need to make sure they are buying from registered vendors,ā she said emphatically ļæ¼.
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š§ The Scale of the Challenge
Eskomās recent admission that R7āÆbillion is siphoned off annually through illegal connections confirms fears of widespread non-technical power losses in South Africaās economic engine. According to the figures, this equates to more than R19āÆmillion lost every single day across Gauteng.
The picture is even more alarming in Soweto, the sprawling township which has recorded daily financial losses of roughly R3āÆmillion each day since 2020āprimarily due to uncontrolled bypassing of meters and unlawful link-ups to transformers ļæ¼.
This is not an overnight problem. Since September last year, Eskom recorded severe infrastructure stressātransformer breakdowns, unexpected outages, and up to 14-hour power cuts in many suburbsāprompting emergency load reduction policies ļæ¼.
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š§ Load Reduction: Impact and Gap
While Eskom emphasises that āload reductionā differs from conventional load-shedding, the lived reality is identical: homes plunge into darkness for extended periods during peak hours.
Residents in Zondi, Jabulani, Zola, and other wards have voiced growing frustration. Most reported a stable but long-awaited blackout cycle, only to experience unpredictable reconnection and further disruptions. Many claim they receive little notice, no forewarning, and no compensationāleaving families exposed to safety risks and spoilage ļæ¼.
Children studying by candlelight, elderly residents managing medication without refrigeration, entrepreneurs losing incomeāthese are the very tangible consequences of load reduction in a township that survives on informality and community resilience.
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š Infrastructure at Breaking Point
At the heart of the issue lies overburdened electrical infrastructure. All-too-frequently, illegal connections bypass meters and hook directly into distribution transformers, often without quality control, fuses, or proper protective equipment.
Eskom warns that these unchecked link-ups place unacceptable stress on aging transformers, pushing them well beyond design thresholds. If a transformer ātripsā or burns out, it can take weeksāeven monthsāto repair due to resource constraints ļæ¼.
In response, Eskom prioritises load reduction in high-burden zonesānot to punish paying customers, but to safeguard the broader network. Transformers are overwhelmed, raising real concerns for public safety and service reliability .
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šµ Root Causes: Culture, Crime, and Communities
The reasons behind the surge in illegal connections are varied and interlinked:
ā¢ Poverty and unaffordability: Households under financial strain may view illegal connections as a means to get essential services, circumventing expensive electricity tariffs.
ā¢ Criminal syndicates: Reports suggest professionalised networks are installing illegal taps and selling this power via informal vendors.
ā¢ Urban density and planning gaps: Rapid population growth in townships has outpaced official infrastructure development, making informal living areas especially vulnerable.
ā¢ Weak enforcement: While penalties and disconnections exist, enforcement is hindered by community resistance and occasional threats to field workers ļæ¼.
The national scale of non-technical losses is staggeringāestimated at R22āÆbillion annually, with Gauteng responsible for nearly a third of that total ļæ¼.
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š£ļø Eskomās Call to Action
Spokesperson Amanda Qithi emphasises that residents play a key role in resolving the crisis:
āCustomers need to stop bypassing their meters ā¦ and they need to make sure they are buying from registered vendors.ā ļæ¼
Eskom has also launched public awareness campaigns, targeting transformer safety and urging residents to report illegal connections. These efforts aim to foster community accountability before ramping up enforcement measures .
Practical steps recommended by Eskom include:
ā¢ Moving from cash-based or informal vendors to registered electricity retailers.
ā¢ Checking meter integrity and avoiding bypassing or tampering.
ā¢ Reporting suspicious activity around transformers or substations.
ā¢ Supporting Eskomās protective measures, even if it means enduring scheduled blackouts in the short term.
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š Policy and Enforcement Measures Underway
While Eskom asserts that penal measures are possibleātampers can lead to fines of around R6āÆ000 per meter, and prosecution for infrastructure damage is enforced in other regionsāthe focus in Gauteng remains on prevention and restoration ļæ¼ ļæ¼ ļæ¼.
Some key interventions now in motion:
ā¢ Transformer audits: Eskom is surveying high-risk networks to identify overloaded or illegal linkages.
ā¢ Targeted disconnects: When load reduction zones are identified, help desks are dispatched to isolate illegal tapsāthough ramp-ups in vandalism and threats sometimes hamper operations .
ā¢ Strategic support: Eskom is collaborating with City Power and municipalities to upgrade infrastructure in hotspots like Soweto, Alexandra, and Diepsloot ļæ¼.
ā¢ Legal prosecution: Where possible, repeat offenders face court sanctions for damaging facilities or tampering with meters.
This multifaceted strategy aims to alleviate the immediate straināreduce load reduction hoursāand lay the groundwork for sustainable service delivery.
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š”ļø Seasonal Risks and Community Costs
Eskom warns of rising risks as winter approaches, when prolonged line heating and transformer stress could lead to catastrophic failures. Overloaded transformers may explode, emit electrical fires, or fail quietlyāyet leaving communities in peril for extended periods .
The cost to residents is steep:
ā¢ Loss of income for small businesses and spaza shops.
ā¢ Food spoilage and medical challenges in homes without refrigeration.
ā¢ Safety fears during blackout hours, including higher crime risks.
Children preparing for exams under unstable lighting is no abstract concernāit has serious consequences for education and wellbeing.
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š Bigger Picture: Power Sector Integrity and State Survival
The fallout from illegal connections isnāt minor. South Africaās energy sector grapples with persistent load-shedding, drought-related generation shortfalls, coal supply chaos, and internal sabotage .
As political leaders engage in high-level summits, Eskomās leadership emphasises that non-technical losses deepen the crisis. Every rand stolen diminishes resources for plant maintenance, network upgrades, and fighting corruptionāultimately eroding state capacity ļæ¼.
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š” Solutions: What Needs to Happen Next
Tackling this crisis requires both immediate and systemic responses:
Improved enforcement and intelligence
ā¢ Focus on detecting, documenting, and lawfully prosecuting illegal connections.
Community campaigns
ā¢ Use trusted messengersāchurches, local clinics, ward committeesāto highlight the dangers and moral case against power theft.
Investment in infrastructure
ā¢ Eskom and City Power must co-fund new transformer stations and mini-utilities in neglected areas to ensure equitable access.
Smart meters and digitalisation
ā¢ Expanded deployment of smart meters and prepaid systems can reduce bypass temptationāthough these come at scale.
Fair penalties and payment support
ā¢ Introducing scaled fines, payment plans, and subsidised electricity for vulnerable households can mitigate default motivations.
Integration of local utilities
ā¢ Coordinated action between Eskom, metros, and independent power producers to manage municipal debt and upgrade networks.
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šÆ Implications for South Africa
This struggle in Gauteng is symptomatic of broader national challenges:
ā¢ Persistent inequality and poverty shape demand for stolen services.
ā¢ Governance vacuum in informal settlements enables parallel, criminalised economies.
ā¢ State collapse at municipal level, as debt burdens cripple integrated delivery.
ā¢ Energy insecurity becomes a severe drag on economic and social stability.
Unless addressed, illegal connections will deepen the energy crisis and inflict hardship across generations.
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