Tshepisong residents vow to keep protesting amid City Power crackdown on illegal connections

By Lungile Ntimba

Irate residents of Tshepisong, west of Johannesburg, have vowed to continue their protests until City Power addresses their grievances.

This follows renewed operations by City Power,  a state-owned enterprise (SOE) wholly owned by the City of Johannesburg, to disconnect illegal electricity connections in the area.

On Friday, City Power, backed by the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) and Gauteng Public Order Police, returned to Tshepisong to dismantle hundreds of unlawful connections.

The crackdown comes just a day after tensions flared between residents and police.

The coordinated operation spans the Tshepisong informal settlement and nearby Leratong Village in Soweto.

It forms part of City Power’s intensified campaign to curb illegal connections, which it says are straining the power grid and endangering lives.

Tshepisong, established in 1998 and located in Region D of Johannesburg, is a mixed settlement comprising both formal and informal housing.

Onlookers watched in dismay on