City Power connects seven informal settlements to Johannesburg's power grid

In an attempt to get rid of illegal connections and get households connected to the power grid, City Power said that they had connected seven informal settlements to the City of Johannesburg power grid.

In a statement released on Monday, City Power said residents across the city have over the years been victims of electrocution as a result of cables that were improperly connected in informal settlements.

The initiative aims to promote greater access to electricity as it is an essential service for social and economic development.

"Power cuts and outages have proven to be a serious setback for individuals and businesses across the city with many expressing loss in production and damage to equipment," City Power said.

To date, 2,675 households in informal settlements have been connected. 

These areas include Amarasta in Alexandra, Roodepoort, Slovo Park, Veggieland, Princess Plot, Matholesville, and Kliptown in the 2023/2024 financial year.

Residents of Rabie Ridge on the outskirts of Midrand took to the streets on Friday to protest against the frequent power outages they have been subjected to over the years.

Some residents blocked roads with stones and burning tires, rendering car movement in and out of the area impossible for the duration of the protests.

The entity said it is in the final stages of several conventional electrification projects having connected more than one thousand households at George Goch Informal Settlement, while striving to connect a further 1,385 in Jumpas before the end of this financial year.

"We are continuing to make headway in electrifying more communities through conventional and alternative energy sources." the entity's CEO, Tshifularo Mashava. 

The entity says they believe everyone deserves access to safe and reliable electricity, hence they embarked on a mission to electrify informal settlements.

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