Economic conditions that leads to illegal electricity connections at Quarry Road Informal Settlement in South Africa

Abstract

Crime statistics in South Africa seems to increase every year. Illegal electricity connection is considered a crime and a punishable offence. Crime can be caused by different aspects, e.g. poverty, drug abuse and alcohol abuse. Unemployment seems to be the leading cause of crime which may indirectly lead to poverty. Unemployment rate has gone up and people are looking for alternative solutions to support themselves and their families. Unemployment is one of the reason stated by people who illegally connect electricity. The illegal connection of electricity can be categorized into two groups. The first group is the group of people that utilize illegally connected electricity because they claim not to afford to pay for the electricity. The second group is the group of people who illegally connect electricity as a form of employment and illegally connect electricity for community members for a specific amount of money as remuneration. The study investigated illegal electricity connections in Quarry Informal Settlements. The main objective of this study was to explore the reason of illegal electricity connections in informal settlements focusing on Quarry Informal Settlement. Illegal electricity connections are lethal and the residents of Quarry Informal Settlements are aware of these consequences yet they seem to have no other alternatives to connecting electricity and no intervention from the municipality. Findings of this study also revealed that connecting electricity in Quarry Road Informal Settlement has since become a norm. It has since become an acceptable act to connect electricity illegally. A minority bought their houses with an already installed illegal connection while most have become accustomed to this act.