SowetanLive reports that according to City Power, residents of Tshepisong continue to use electricity without paying for it, and when their officials recently went to the area to disconnect illegal connections, they were held hostage, and later forced to leave the area.

The situation reached boiling point last week after City Power disconnected electricity supply in parts of Tshepisong in the township west of Johannesburg. The move sparked widespread outrage, with angry residents taking to the streets demanding power be restored immediately, and also holding the officials hostage. The City Power workers wanted to continue with the disconnections on Wednesday, but had to abandon that plan after the police's risk assessment showed they would not be safe and the police did not have enough manpower to escort them. Spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the SA Police Service had advised City Power not to return to the area at present, citing the risk of violence and their inability to ensure the safety of officials, given that law enforcement was currently outnumbered. “The plan is to return on August 5, the date SAPS believes a coordinated and safe re-entry can take place,” he indicated.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nandi Ntini at SowetanLive

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