Power utility Eskom has warned the public against infrastructure and electricity theft noting says illegal connections are the leading cause of power outages.

In a statement released on Monday Tebogo Rakau, Divisional Executive for Security said customers piggybacking on the utility’s system illegally place everyone in danger.

“The network overloads and trips because it is carrying more users than what it was designed for. Furthermore‚ customers who are not paying for electricity tend to be wasteful in the way they use it‚” said Rakau.

The power utility said it installs circuit breakers that switch off when the load reaches dangerous levels‚ which prevents the transformers from exploding.

Rakau said residents sometimes bypass these safety features and the transformers eventually explode.

“Not only is this dangerous‚ but these transformers can take hours or even days to repair. Unfortunately, this affects and inconveniences legal and paying customers as well. It is, therefore, to everyone’s benefit that we stand together as Eskom, businesses, government and the community at large to fight and win the battle against infrastructure and electricity theft.

“One person losing their life or getting injured because of the unsafe and illegal use of electricity is simply one too many, especially because these are avoidable incidents.”

Rakau said curbing illegal electricity connections, infrastructure theft and vandalism will ensure the safety of communities while also improving the performance of the electricity network, ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply for the benefit of individuals, businesses and the country at large.