Taking on Izinyoka single-handedly

One man from Caleb Motshabi in Mangaung is hell-bent on making a difference in his community by reducing the number of illegal electric connections and cable theft incidences in the area.
Community leader, Teboho Setai, says his focus is on the informal settlements in the surrounding areas, namely Ward 10 and Ward 12, which are both plagued by electricity theft.
Setai has been reporting illegal connections to Centlec since 2015. To identify the homes in the area with illegal connections, he uses a map which was initially given to him by the municipality for his own personal use.
“Izinyoka (Zulu word for snakes – normally used for cable and electricity thieves) do not realise how dangerous these connections are. For example, at the moment we have workers drilling holes in trenches where there might be cut wire in the ground.
“These workers could unknowingly sit on it and lose their lives. Everyone who walks in that area may fall victim to this because the cable thieves like to hide their connections in the ground,” says Setai.
He says electricity thieves often walk in pairs of two, carrying a step ladder. While one of them goes up to the cables and cuts the wires, the other will be holding the fort at the bottom.
Deputy Minister of Energy, Thabisile Majola, who spoke at an event where over 1 800 homes in the area were supplied with electricity, has urged the community to report any illegal connection, not only to Centlec but also to the police so that the culprits can be arrested.
There is a lack of adequate lighting in Caleb Motshabi, which contributes to the high crime rate in the area. Many muggings and thefts are reported here.
Addressing this challenge, the CEO of Centlec, Nzimeni Mgoqi, said plans are underway to install street lights rather than high mast lights as requested by the community. However, he did not say when these changes will be implemented. – Pulane Choane
pulane@centralmediagroup.co.za