Dozens of Illegal Connections Instill Fear in Resident of Holy Emmanuel

A maze of electrical wires dangling from a lamp post in the Holy Emmanuel area is proving to be dangerous for the Geban family. Families who live in the area have been connecting illegally to get electricity into their homes so the network of wires runs in any direction.  The Geban family lives in front of the post; the active wires are posing a direct threat of serious injury of even death to her family members. Zonia Geban says she lives in fear that one day it turns fatal. Hipolito Novelo was in the area and files the following report.

Hipolito Novelo, Reporting

Dozens of thin entangled electrical wires run from this electrical post to several houses in the Holy Emmanuel area. It’s a cluster of wires improperly and illegally connected to the grid, feeding electricity to families in this area. The maze is unbelievable. It’s a messy nest of wires running in all directions, engulfing the electrical post. The wires run for yards, held up by “bush sticks” planted in the swampy ground. And it is dangerous. Thirty-seven year old national Belizean Zonia Geban has been living in the area since 2005.  She recognizes the danger and has asked for residents to remove their wires from her yard.

Zonia Geban

Zonia Geban, Resident

“I have only one problem. I want the people to move the wire from my yard, in front of my fence. I want them to move it to the kennel. If they move it to the kennel no one has a problem.”

But her request has been met with resistance and aggression as shown in this cell phone video. She says that the man was armed with a machete, threatening her.

Zonia Geban

“When it rain, when we go outside, when my babies want to play in the yard they can’t because a lot of wire and the people who come and fix the wire and don’t put tape. They only leave the wire. It is left on the fence. The people have to understand this problem because when I tell the people to please fix the wire for me and my family and the people come and curse me and tell me a lot of things.”

Geban says that the people have trespassed on her leased land, breaking down her zinc fence and leaving active wires on it. She says that her son has been shocked by the electrical wires three times and she is afraid that it might be fatal the next time.

Zonia Geban

“Saturday in the morning my son went to buy bread at the shop. When he came back he put his foot in the water when he touched the fence and the curse flew him hard. So I told him, what happened? Ad he said ma, I touched the fence and the fence beat me hard. I have paid. I don’t understand why these people do that. I have ask the people to fix the wires and the people do not want to understand.”

Geban herself is benefitting from an illegal connection from the electrical pole but says she is willing to pay for a legal connection if only B.E.L. would address the matter as they did in the Antelope Street Extension area in 2015.

Zonia Geban

“I think there is hundred or more wires in that post.”

Hipolito Novelo

“It looks scary.”

Zonia Geban

“Yes you have to check it.”

Hipolito Novelo

“So those wires that we see on that lamp post, that connects to a lot of those houses back there?”

Zonia Geban

“Yes a lot of houses back there. I think about one hundred and fifty people live in all this area. This side don’t have problem. The problem is back there. The people don’t want to understand. I tired of telling them.”

Hipolito Novelo

“So the lamp pos tis in your yard or outside of your yard?”

Zonia Geban

“Outside of my yard, in front of my house. I don’t have problem with the post. I have problem with the wires, a lot of wires in front of my fence and in my yard too. I have to take a bush stick and put the wire high because the people leave it in my yard.”

Hipolito Novelo

“You have an illegal connection as well.”

Zonia Geban

“Yes, I have to. I want B.E.L. come and talk to the people….”

Hipolito Novelo

“You don’t mind paying for the meter because right now you are not paying light bill?”

Zonia Geban

“I am not paying light bill. I no have money to pay. I mind my family. For me it is better to not have light but have my babies. My babies are more important for me.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Hipolito Novelo.