Mxm, the only reason the ANC is so 'concerned' is because of the local elections next year... And to shut down a whole area for non-payment is stupid, it's not all who are connected illegally! Eskom is on some power trip (pun intended) & keep fumbling!
Not all, I have seen some where that majority of Soweto is illegally connected. 7% nationally illegally connected to the power grid.I don't care who or what or where, as a business I am paying as much as R3.00 a unit, and eskom keeps piling on increases which drives up costs ect.
So cut off the feckers who don't pay, and if it's the large majority cut off the whole area, and be done with it.It's not about discrimination, it's not about racism, or even politically motivated agenda's. It's the simple fact that eskom is a business like any other you miss a payment or don't pay there needs to be consequences for those actions even criminal/civil actions.
There should be no middle ground, you don't pay, you should suffer as a result. In our township of 1200 odd people there isn't a single illegal connection, and they do regular audits once a year at least, and that said it's in a rural area, with less jobs and min wage than soweto.These people are more than happy to have a prepaid meter and buy R50 a week to have a light on, small tv and a fridge.
Even the shacks people build while waiting for RPD houses, and they do actually get build here, is connected to the grid with a prepaid meter.
So some where, you will need to draw a line and say enough is enough, so what if people want to riot, and throw bricks, and stones, and burn tires, to show their dissatisfaction of doing some thing illegal in the first place, they not rising up against a government or police, they rising up against a business like any other in order to provide effective services and protect income and the power grid.
Eskom depends on the income to provide services, without it how else will it stay afloat.
Besides electricity is a luxury and not a necessity unlike.If there is no manageable way to control illegal connections other than disconnecting a whole area.Simple enough.It's not like the Eskom is a total ******, they do provide 50watts of free units a month to those who are qualify, considering most of those who are less fortunate, have min appliances to begin with in the first place.
Affordability isn't really a problem, as I found as prepaid reseller, people buy R20.00 extra every 10 days or so over and above the 50 free units.Additionally these people get grants, and pension from the government as often the grandparents look after the kids while the parents are working in the mines or larger cities, around these parts.There really isn't an excuse of not being able to afford R20.00 a week of prepaid power.This "we demand" attitude we South Africans have and sense of entitlement gets my blood boiling.So no I pay my taxes, I pay my tv license, I pay for basic services as many law abiding citizens, why should I show sympathy and compassion to some one who expects every thing in life on a silver platter and it be free as well.
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