Homeowners in an upmarket section of a Rustenburg township pay up to R1000 to steal electricity from power lines connected to a nearby water reservoir.
Some connect illegally to neighbouring homes.
However, many of them are still living in the dark.
It has been seven years.
The owners of about 20 houses in Unit 2 of Mogwase township near Rustenburg, some of which cost upwards of R1-million, are forced to pay up to R1000 a month to connect illegal cables to get electricity from their neighbours.
Mogwase falls under Moses Kotane municipality.
In March this year, a company the residents said was contracted to Eskom dug trenches and then closed them again, but no electricity cables were installed, residents told Sowetan.
Bellina Pule's home cost R1.2-million to build.
"In March this year they told me that we should have electricity by June but when June came they said we must wait until December this year. When will this thing stop? I moved in here in 2013 and I've [made] many fruitless applications to have the electricity but nothing has happened.
"How must I trust them that they will deliver on this promise," said Pule. Like many, she also pays her neighbour more than R1000 a month to get electricity.
"I've been doing this for many years, its embarrassing now," she said.
The trenches near her house are still wide open while workers were seen installing a new transformer. The workers blame Eskom and the recent theft of a 107m long copper cable for stalling the electrification process.
"If it were up to us, this place could have electricity by next week. We just need to finish building this transformer and then install new underground cables and then we will be done.
"All these people need to do is apply to Eskom to draw electricity into their homes," said one of the workers.
Matshwenyego Tsoku moved into her eight-room house prematurely last weekend after thieves broke into it while it was still being built.
Before she moved to Unit 2, she lived in one of the electrified villages near Moruleng. She now uses a gas stove to cook and candles for light.
"My TV and DVD are just sitting there to decorate," said Tsoku.
"I knew that this house did not have electricity but I did not know that the entire neighbourhood was also in darkness. Even my village was better than this place," she said.
Municipal spokeswoman Beauty Makganye said the budget to electrify Unit 2 was approved in January.
Eskom approved its designs in March but that area could not be electrified on time because of delays from Eskom to approve power outages for the connection of Unit 2.
"I can confirm that the contractor is currently busy connecting the [mini] sub. By end of October the residents can make their own individual applications to Eskom to connect," said Makganye.
sifilel@sowetan.co.za
Illegal power connections to light up posh homes
Homeowners in an upmarket section of a Rustenburg township pay up to R1000 to steal electricity from power lines connected to a nearby water reservoir.
Some connect illegally to neighbouring homes.
However, many of them are still living in the dark.
It has been seven years.
The owners of about 20 houses in Unit 2 of Mogwase township near Rustenburg, some of which cost upwards of R1-million, are forced to pay up to R1000 a month to connect illegal cables to get electricity from their neighbours.
Mogwase falls under Moses Kotane municipality.
In March this year, a company the residents said was contracted to Eskom dug trenches and then closed them again, but no electricity cables were installed, residents told Sowetan.
Bellina Pule's home cost R1.2-million to build.
"In March this year they told me that we should have electricity by June but when June came they said we must wait until December this year. When will this thing stop? I moved in here in 2013 and I've [made] many fruitless applications to have the electricity but nothing has happened.
"How must I trust them that they will deliver on this promise," said Pule. Like many, she also pays her neighbour more than R1000 a month to get electricity.
"I've been doing this for many years, its embarrassing now," she said.
The trenches near her house are still wide open while workers were seen installing a new transformer. The workers blame Eskom and the recent theft of a 107m long copper cable for stalling the electrification process.
"If it were up to us, this place could have electricity by next week. We just need to finish building this transformer and then install new underground cables and then we will be done.
"All these people need to do is apply to Eskom to draw electricity into their homes," said one of the workers.
Matshwenyego Tsoku moved into her eight-room house prematurely last weekend after thieves broke into it while it was still being built.
Before she moved to Unit 2, she lived in one of the electrified villages near Moruleng. She now uses a gas stove to cook and candles for light.
"My TV and DVD are just sitting there to decorate," said Tsoku.
"I knew that this house did not have electricity but I did not know that the entire neighbourhood was also in darkness. Even my village was better than this place," she said.
Municipal spokeswoman Beauty Makganye said the budget to electrify Unit 2 was approved in January.
Eskom approved its designs in March but that area could not be electrified on time because of delays from Eskom to approve power outages for the connection of Unit 2.
"I can confirm that the contractor is currently busy connecting the [mini] sub. By end of October the residents can make their own individual applications to Eskom to connect," said Makganye.
sifilel@sowetan.co.za
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