Climbing poles is all in a day's work for Sifiso Sithole. He is still at school, but after hours he works as a volunteer for Operation Khanyisa - an informal network whose mission is to reconnect electricity after Eskom has cut off the service. Sifiso is one of many Khanyisa volunteers who reconnect a growing number of customers illegally every day. Kleinboot Matamela and his son had their electricity cut off only this morning. "It only takes one phone call to Operation Khanyisa to organise a reconnection. You report you are cut off, and the volunteers are sent out", he says. Consumers like Kleinboot say that Eskom prices are just too high, the arrears are crippling them, and the billing is unreliable. They accuse Eskom of ignoring growing unemployment and poverty. The Soweto Electricity Crisis Committee is holding another meeting, encouraging boys and girls to join Khanyisa. They also help to chase Eskom employees out of the neighbourhood. Eskom say they are looking for solutions, but Soweto residents are not convinced.

Produced by ABC Australia