Four Eskom contractors arrested for bypassing Gauteng resort electricity meter

Eskom has welcomed the arrest of four contractor employees who were allegedly paid R10 000 by a resort owner in Gauteng to bypass an electricity meter.

In a statement on Monday, the power utility said the four were arrested on Friday, 4 October, for facilitating unauthorised electricity consumption without payment.

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Resort owner paid R10 000

“The contractors are facing charges of electricity theft and meter tampering.

“It is alleged that the resort owner paid an amount of R10 000 directly into one of the employee’s bank accounts who shared it among the individuals involved,” it said.

Eskom said the resort owner has not been arrested.

Eskom further explained that it strongly condemns such illegal activities as they violate the law and undermine efforts to provide reliable and sustainable electricity.

“These actions not only constitute a serious criminal offence but also place a financial strain on Eskom and in turn its ability to return to profit and remove itself from being dependent on the fiscus.”

A vigilant member of the public reported the crime, prompting the power utility to take swift action and halt it.

“Eskom commends the member of the public who reported the incident, our internal security team for their thorough investigation, and the South African Police Service for their swift action in arresting the suspects. Such cooperative efforts are crucial in the fight against crime and corruption,” it said.

Members urged to report illegal activities

The public is encouraged to take an active role in preventing electricity theft by reporting any suspicious electricity-related activities, theft, illegal connections, meter bypasses, and other illegal operations.

“Eskom reminds all customers that tampering with electricity meters is punishable by law, and anyone found guilty may face prosecution, fines, or imprisonment,” Eskom concluded.

To report illegal activities, the utility said the public can contact the Eskom Crime line at 0800 11 27 22 or on its WhatsApp number on 081 333 3323. 

Eskom spends nearly R6bn in diesel to keep lights on

Meanwhile, Eskom has spent R5.92 billion on Open Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs) over the past six months, from 1 April to 3 October 2024, in a bid to stop load shedding.

This amount is approximately 66% (R11.51 billion) less than the R17.43 billion spent during the same period last year, Eskom said.

Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said diesel consumption remains significantly below projected figures for this summer and is considerably lower than in the past two years.

She said that the power utility continues to face network overloading issues in certain local areas even though load shedding has been suspended.

“This is due to illegal connections, vandalism, meter tampering, unauthorised network operations, theft of network equipment, and purchasing electricity from unlicensed vendors,” Mokwena said.

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