Veron Uithaler (42) died from electrocution while allegedly attempting to make an illegal electrical connection in Sea Vista, St Francis Bay, on July 15.
Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli confirmed that St Francis Bay police have opened an inquest docket following the incident.
He said that at about 20:00 on July 15, police were summoned to a report of unnatural death at Steenbras Street, Sea Vista.
“At the scene, police found the body of a man with burn wounds who was declared dead at the scene,” said Nkohli.
“It is suspected that Uithaler was electrocuted while tampering with an electric transformer in an attempt to make an illegal electrical connection.”
The incident has reignited calls from the Sea Vista Property Owners for urgent intervention to address what they describe as an escalating crisis of illegal electricity connections in the area.
Nathaar Cupido, Chairperson of the Sea Vista Property Owners, witnessed the tragic events unfold.
He said that he passed the scene twice on July 15 while the victim was on the pole.
Cupido said that after passing the scene the first time, he heard whispers from his alleged accomplices encouraging him to come down from the pole.
However, when he returned the second time, which was only a few minutes later, he was back on the pole.
“About three minutes after I walked past the second time, I was informed that an individual was lying on the ground after being electrocuted. He had a faint pulse, and a resident began performing CPR,” said Cupido.
“I was told that the ambulance service was contacted, but he passed away shortly after the electrocution.”
Cupido emphasised that this was not an isolated incident.
He said that they have multiple illegal connections throughout the area, with Elf Street and Roman Street being a major concern.
“The incident on July 15 is not unique as this specific transformer has been used without consequence for some time,” said Cupido.
He further expressed frustration at what he perceives as a lack of coordinated response from authorities.
Cupido also argued that both perpetrators and those receiving illegal electricity should face prosecution.
He said that the Sea Vista Property Owners have been calling for coordinated action between the South African Police Service, Law Enforcement, and electrical departments.
“In previous correspondence to the Kouga Municipality, we have asked that all departments work in unison,” Cupido said.
He further said that the community has been experiencing “ungazetted loadshedding” for years due to illegal connections.
“We have been suffering with this electrical matter for a very long time. Our lives have been affected by these illegal perpetrators. Ungazetted loadshedding is what we are experiencing. It is unlawful and needs to be actioned,” Cupido said.
He said that the recent electrocution incident highlights ongoing tensions between informal settlement residents seeking access to electricity and property owners concerned about infrastructure damage and safety.
He further described how quickly illegal connections proliferate with one pole appearing and then multiple poles being targeted since there are no repercussions.
In a statement released by the Kouga Municipality on July 16, the municipality extended its heartfelt condolences to the family of the victim who tragically lost his life due to electrocution.
The statement further said that the municipality acknowledges that there have been similar tragedies in informal settlements in the past.
“Illegal electricity connections are not only unlawful but extremely dangerous. They pose a significant risk of injury or death to individuals, especially children, and often lead to electrical fires, damage to municipal infrastructure, and prolonged outages that affect entire communities,” the statement said.
Kouga Local Municipality Executive Mayor, Hattingh Bornman, once again urged residents to refrain from making illegal connections and to report any tampering with electrical infrastructure.
“We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident and appeal to our residents to never risk their lives for electricity. Our teams have made countless appeals to residents to refrain from illegal connections and pointed out the risks attached to it. Illegal connections are a threat to lives and the safety of our communities. Kouga Local Municipality is actively working to address electricity access challenges, and we ask for the public’s patience and cooperation,” said Bornman.
The statement said that to mitigate such incidents, Kouga Municipality is fast-tracking the electrification of informal settlements throughout the region.
As part of these efforts, Phase 1 of the Sea Vista Electrification Project is set to launch in August this year, bringing legal and safe electricity access to more households in the area.
Residents are encouraged to report illegal connections or damaged infrastructure to the municipality via the Kouga Call Centre at 042 200 2200.
