Amid load shedding pain, more than 50% of Soweto residents are illegally connected to grid – …

As Soweto residents marched to the office of Johannesburg Mayor Mpho Phalatse last week to demand a more sustainable and consistent electricity supply, they did so against the backdrop of an area plagued by illegal connections and residents who can’t or won’t pay for power. Eskom says 50% of customers in Soweto are “zero buyers”. Only 40% of the residents buy and pay for electricity, according to the parastatal.