Eskom plans crack down on power thieves to re-coupe R5-billion loss
He added that Eskom KZN will be offering its prepaid customers a 50% remedial fee as an incentive when a customer comes forward to become a clean and legal electricity user
Eskom is losing R5-billion annually because of electricity theft, non-payment of bills and even illegal vending by direct customers.
Eskom KwaZulu-Natal’s General Manager, Monde Bala, warned that offenders will ‘face heavy consequences’ and the utility has plans to vigorously disconnect and remove installations of those customers who are not paying their bills and are stealing electricity.
“While illegal connections and other leading forms of electricity theft are common, non-payment has sharply increased and is taking root in many parts of the country,” he told the Courier. In this area, Wasbank, Hattingspruit and Dannhauser, residents and businesses are direct Eskom customers, as are the farming areas.
Eskom is fighting electricity theft using a new way of investigating, which incorporates technical meter auditing, supported by criminal investigations and prosecution by law-enforcement agencies.
As a result of this new approach, he says that a large number of incidents of non-payment, meter tampering and illegal vending, as well as other forms of electricity theft, were uncovered in the province. This led to the issuing of numerous disconnection orders, tamper fees, arrests and prosecutions.
He added that Eskom KZN will be offering its prepaid customers a 50% remedial fee as an incentive when a customer comes forward to become a clean and legal electricity user.
“This offer is given to customers whose meters have been tampered with; those who have not been paying for electricity; those who installed meters illegally and those who are buying illegal vouchers. This campaign is currently running in the Free State, Limpopo and the Eastern Cape and will be implemented in other areas and provinces, including KwaZulu-Natal, in a phased approach.
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“For our province, should residential illegal electricity users not take up the offer and pay the discounted remedial fee of 50% from January 14 to March 31, they will face heavy consequences that include disconnections, full debt payment, paying for new meters, possible arrests and prosecutions,” said Mr Bala. “We will track down and leave no stone unturned so that we catch the offenders,” he added.
Mr Bala once again highlighted the important role played by law-enforcement agencies and the public in the ongoing fight against electricity and infrastructure theft and encouraged people to use the Crime Line number 32211 to anonymously SMS their tip-offs on electricity theft and non-payment. Alternatively, people can report on the Crime Line website: www.crimeline.co.za or the Eskom reporting line: 0800 112 722, which is a toll free number.
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