Electricity meters bypassed – suspect arrested

After an investigation of nearly 18 months, an employee of an Eskom contractor has been arrested on charges of suspected corruption. The suspect, who presented himself as an Eskom employee, is suspected of bypassing electricity meters on farms in the Bothaville and Viljoenskroon area.
The suspect allegedly offered to “calibrate meters” which will result in lower electricity usage and charged the customers between R2 300 and R10 000 per meter.
After a tip-off, Eskom approached the Hawks who extensively investigated the matter and eventually caught him red-handed on 26 May 2017.
As a result, Eskom will be auditing all electricity meters on farms in the Bothaville and Viljoenskroon area. Customers whose meters have been tampered with face tampering fees of up to R35 000, arrear consumption as calculated and possible prosecution.
Any person with information that might be of benefit to the investigation or who wishes to come forward can contact Eskom on 051 404 2277 during office hours.
Suspected electricity theft can be reported anonymously by sending an SMS to 32211 (R1/SMS).