City Power is actively addressing the issue of illegal electricity connections within the Riverpark community in Alexandra. This crackdown follows violent protests from residents after the power utility's staff initiated power cuts to numerous households. The utility states that a majority of residents in this area have either bypassed their electricity meters or established direct connections to the power network. These illegal practices frequently overload the existing infrastructure, resulting in common power outages and significantly increasing the risk of fires.

The power utility has stated that more than 800 households in Riverpark were found to be either not purchasing electricity at all or had "suspiciously low" purchase rates. Further investigation by City Power revealed that among these, approximately 470 households had no recorded electricity purchases, and an additional 367 registered customers exhibited "suspiciously low" electricity purchases, strongly suggesting meter tampering.

Tensions escalated on a recent Thursday when City Power teams attempted to disconnect all identified illegal connections. However, they only managed to disconnect a few before residents became violent, threatening the staff and compelling them to reconnect the homes and vacate the area. This incident followed an earlier protest on May 28, when Riverpark residents demonstrated outside the Alexandra Service Delivery Centre after nine properties, all found to have illegal connections or tampered meters, were disconnected the previous day. Earlier in the year, City Power's rollout of smart meters also faced disruptions from protesters.

The aggressive stance on illegal connections comes as City Power reportedly grapples with a significant financial deficit, with a negative bank balance of R16.3-billion. The utility has identified electricity theft and illegal connections as major contributors to this massive overdraft, which in turn jeopardizes the City of Johannesburg's capacity to deliver essential services and maintain financial stability.

Residents have voiced their frustrations, with some citing high fees, reportedly up to R2,000, demanded by City Power for legal reconnection. Pensioner Victoria Smith mentioned paying R2,000 for reconnection, yet her electricity remained off. Tlaleng Mmoa, another affected resident, questioned why paying customers were also being disconnected, possibly due to shared connections with non-paying households. She also revealed that officials had recently met with residents, warning those bypassing meters to rectify the situation by June 9, adding, "We can't afford to buy electricity."

In response to the ongoing situation and the resistance faced, City Power spokesman Isaac Mangena stated on Thursday evening that the utility was "left with no option but to disconnect the power supply to safeguard the network."