Eskom has withdrawn its technicians in the Diepsloot and Marlboro areas over the safety of its technicians.
The power utility issued a statement on Tuesday indicating that it had become unsafe for its staff members to resolve technical issues in the area.
"We will return to the areas when we deem it safe for our employees to operate. Their safety is important to us," the parastatal said.
Over the last few days, protests in the Dieplsoot turned violent as residents have vowed to wage war against high-levels of crime in the area.
In images that have gone viral, residents could be seen barricading roads with burning tyres and setting alight shacks which they say belong to criminals and drug lords.
Stalls belonging to some undocumented migrant vendors had to be closed down, with some of them being attacked by angry community members.
Meanwhile, in Marlboro, Eskom had already begun a process to remove illegal connections.
According to the utility, this was part of its initiative to "safeguard electricity infrastructure against overloading."
It said it was also doing this to prevent supply interruptions as well as any injuries and fatalities that may occur due to the illegal connections.
As a result, Eskom technicians have been targeted, prompting the utility halting its operations in the area.
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