This week Eskom implemented load reduction in Khayelitsha to avoid network overloading during peak hours.
Eskom is warning that it was battling to function under the pressure of a cold front, the dangerous taxi violence playing out in the Western Cape and illegal connections across the country.
On Thursday, at least nine businesses and several households were disconnected from the grid in the Mayfair, Crosby and Slovo areas. R500,000 worth of cables were also removed.
On Thursday residents barricaded the main entrance of the area, forcing City Power to abandon its operation intended to cut operators.
The area is known for illegal connections and City Power said it had to act since stealing cables ultimately cost the utility millions of rands.
River Park residents blocked the main entrance to the community on Thursday morning as City Power officials tried to cut illegal connections in the area.
Illegal power connections appear to be a serious problem in Roodepoort and on Monday City Power disconnected homes and business as part of operation Kleena Joburg.
Spaza shops, hair salons and street vendors are the main drivers of the local economy in Diepsloot but without power, they say their businesses are as good as dead.
The majority of Diepsloot residents use illegally connected power, for which they illegally pay about R1,800 to connect to their houses and street lights.
Officials were conducting what they called “surprise cut-offs" for defaulters and illegala connections at houses in Dainfern, near Fourways, on Wednesday afternoon.
The community of Zone 2 barred the entrance of Megawatt Park in Sunninghill in a bid to have their electricity restored in high-density areas after a transformer failed in June.
Residents of Pimville Zone 2, who have been left without electricity supply for three months after a transformer exploded, have staged a protest outside the power utility's headquarters, Megawatt Park in Sunninghill.
The power utility said it had noticed an increase in illegal connections in high-density areas with multiple households per stand.
Thousands of residents have been left without power after a fire destroyed a switching sub-station overnight.
The power utility said in 'high residential areas,' which are mainly townships, they have huge problems of illegal connections.
Several communities have been left without power as Eskom implements load reduction in certain areas due to illegal connections.
Eskom said that Soweto, Diepsloot, large parts of the Vaal, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni were some of the country’s biggest culprits when it came to illegal connections, which placed an enormous amount of pressure on the grid.
The power utility said that tampering with equipment had also resulted in infrastructure damage in areas including Soweto, Cosmo City, Ivory Park and Diepsloot.
