So is the sense here that infrastructure is being deliberately broken so residents can be charged to have it repaired? If that's the case, it's outrageous.

Yes, Jeremy, it's quite serious.

Um, I think it's a bit of both.

I think you're getting the odd person, like we got a video of somebody tearing a cable off a pole and then going to residents and asking for 3,000 rand to restore the electricity.

And then I think subcontractors are actually stealing breakers to go and fix people's outages from places where outages have not in fact happened.

So they're making a quick buck on the side.

These are contractors, um, who know what they're doing, 'cause they steal the breakers, they deliberate parts that they know what they're doing.

... what are people paying for then, Anna? Is it an illegal connection? Would it be a faster repair or, or simply as that, that video that you referenced showed, uh, the restoration of a service that they already fund?

So is the sense here that infrastructure is being deliberately broken so residents can be charged to have it repaired? If that's the case, it's outrageous.

Yes, Jeremy.

It's quite serious.

Um, I think it's a bit of both.

I think you're getting the odd person, like we got a video of somebody tearing a cable off a pole and then going to residents and asking for 3,000 rand to restore the electricity.

And then I think subcontractors are actually stealing breakers to go and fix people's outages from places where outages have not in fact happened.

So they're making a quick buck on the side.

Hmm

Are we talking about isolated properties here or are you seeing a more visible collapse of an entire once stable suburb?

Hi, Jeremy.

Yes.

Basically, it's a few isolated properties, but there is a fear that it's going to be spreading to other properties.

But the Residents Association, I must say, has been very active in preventing it from happening from other properties.

They are on the ground all the time.

If they see any movement, they act immediately.

And Anna, is there any suggestion or evidence that bigger criminal syndicates or even politically connected interests might be involved?