Lekwa gets to grips with illegal connections and bridged meters
“Tampering with electricity infrastructure and illegal connections lead to the municipality exceeding the maximum electricity supply demand and therefore there is a need to implement load reduction,” the mayor said.
Lekwa Local Municipality (LLM) has embarked on a credit control operation that includes cutting illegal electricity connections and bridged meters.
According to their communications department, the operation is underway in Ext 6 Sakhile, in Standerton.
Lekwa said meter bridging and illegal electricity connections often lead to compromising quality of services, electrical infrastructure overload and ultimate damage to the infrastructure.
The operation is part of revenue enhancement and a credit control measure to ensure communities pay the municipality for electricity services rendered.
“Tampering with electricity infrastructure and illegal connections leads to the municipality exceeding the maximum electricity supply demand and therefore there is a need to implement load reduction,” Delani Louis Thabethe executive mayor, said.
“Once we exceed the maximum electricity demand, Eskom penalises the municipality financially and we are not receiving any money for electricity usage.”
He added overloading because of illegal connections also leads to transformers exploding and subjecting the entire community to darkness.
Illegal electricity connections and tampering with electricity infrastructure also pose serious safety hazards that can lead to loss of life in the surrounding community.
Residents found to have bridged their meters and/or have an illegal connection are cut off from the electricity supply, and fined for a reconnection fee an additional fee when the meter is damaged.
