Ekurhuleni cracks the whip on illegal power connections
The city has resorted to use a harsher possible criminal justice process by using the new legislative framework.
The City of Ekurhuleni has recorded close to R800-million a year in non-technical electricity losses, caused among other factors by illegal power connections across the city.
The city has undertaken rolling operations of disconnecting illegal connections and arresting suspected syndicates.
Close to 30 arrests of perpetrators who illegally tampered with electrical infrastructure have been made in November alone.
These arrests were made during raids to disconnect illegal connection led by the city’s Energy Department and Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department to curb unlawful connections.
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The city has resorted to using a harsher possible criminal justice process by using the new legislative framework (Criminal Matters Amendment Act No 18 of 2015).
Initially, people accused of tampering with electrical equipment could be released on bail by a police officer or a prosecutor as the crime was deemed a minor offence.
The amended legislation provides that bail for persons accused of crimes related to essential infrastructures, such as water and electricity installations, may only be considered by a court, not police officers or prosecutors.
The legislation has also provided for harsher minimum sentences ranging from three years to seven years for some of the essential infrastructure crimes, and regulated theft of ferrous or non-ferrous metal which formed part of the essential infrastructure.
Municipal officials, contractors and companies that connect illegally to the power grid will face the harshest offences created by the legislation.
Clr Tiisetso Nketle, member of the mayoral committee for water, sanitation and energy, said the city has adopted a hard-line approach to the illegal connection of electricity.
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“In addition to the use of the criminal justice system to curb illegal connections, customers who are found to have connected illegally will face a back-billing from the day they stopped purchasing electricity,” he said.
In addition, the costs of disconnection and re-instating legal connection to a business customer are borne by the concerned customer as illustrated below:
For removing and re-instating a business customer connection that is found in a tampered state:
Estimated cost of material. labour and transport + 10 per cent with a minimum charge of :
• R93 728.07 (VAT exclusive) – > 1 MVA (for connections)
• R28 118.42 (VAT exclusive) – > 500 kVA and < 1 MVA (for connections)
• R14 059.21 (VAT exclusive) – > 100 kVA and < 500 kVA (for connections)
• R14 059.21 (VAT exclusive) – < 100 kVA (for connections)
Those who want to avoid the consequences of illegal connections can visit the nearest energy depot to normalise their connections.
Residents are encouraged to report any illegal connections or suspicion of illegal connection activities through the municipal Call Centre on 086 054 3000.
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