Two men electrocuted at Eskom mini substation in Soweto

A suspected electricity thief has died while a second is in a serious condition after being electrocuted in Soweto.

The two men were electrocuted while allegedly “illegally operating on an Eskom mini substation” on Tuesday in Tladi, Soweto, Eskom said on Thursday.

Police are investigating.

Eskom has expressed concern for the loss of life. The power utility warned that unauthorised operations on its electricity infrastructure are not only unsafe, but also lead to power supply interruptions caused by failed transformers due to network overload.

Eskom recently reported the arrest of five members of the community in Orlando East, Soweto, for allegedly illegally tampering with Eskom electricity infrastructure.

“Meter bypasses, illegal connections and tampering with the electricity infrastructure are on the rise, and are the main cause for the prolonged electricity outages experienced by customers during lockdown,” Eskom said.

It added that it had intensified its efforts to safeguard its assets by partnering police and other law-enforcement agencies.