Daily Sun (June 4 2014) - THE ESKOM workers arrived to remove the illegal connections. But soon they found themselves trapped in a freezing cold building for hours by angry residents. AND WHILE THEY WAITED, A FOUR-YEAR-OLD BOY WAS KILLED BY IZINYOKA CABLES.
The six Eskom workers arrived in Bekkersdal, west of Joburg to repair a damaged transformer near the Mandela Clinic and to cut illegal connections, but they were never allowed to go to work.
A worker who did not want to be named told Daily Sun people came from nowhere with pangas and threw stones at them.
"They insulted us and told us to voetsek," he said.
"We ran into a building near the clinic. It was freezing cold but the people wouldn't allow us to come out," said the worker.
"We were there for hours. I thought I was going to die and leave my wife and children alone on earth."
Eventually they managed to escape.
"It was evil. Hundreds of women were rejoicing, ululating and blowing whistles," said the worker.
A worker refused to go with the SunTeam to the building.
"Go alone, these people are waging war against us because they want free electricity."
While the workers were trapped in the building, a four-year-old boy, Lucky Sithole, touched a live izinyoka cable under the bridge near the clinic and was shocked to death.
When Lucky's mother Thokozile Sithole (39) was called to the scene, she collapsed and was taken back to her home in Mandela squatter camp. Daily Sun went to the shack and found Thokozile on a mattress being comforted by neighbours and friends.
She said Lucky asked her to put a mattress outside the shack for him and his friends.
"He spent the morning jumping and playing with his friends," said the grieving mum of five kids.
"I offered him salad and a cold drink but he preferred to play on the mattress."
Later she went outside to check on the children, but Lucky wasn't there.
"Nobody knew where he was. Then a child from the neighbourhood came and told me the electricity under the bridge had killed Lucky," Thokozile said.
Bekkersdal police spokesman, Colonel Selvan Moonsamy said an inquest docket was under investigation.
"No suspects have been arrested. I advise Eskom workers to report their harassment," he said.
People are encouraged to call Bekkersdal police at 011 755 000 if they notice people making connections under the bridge.
The Eskom media desk told Daily Sun they are aware of the incident and will investigate.
‘People should know we come to fix problems for their own safety. Eskom workers are often attacked and harassed," said an Eskom official.
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