New electricity meters for KwaMsane township

In a bid to improve revenue collection and efficiency and upgrade infrastructure, uMkhanyakude District Municipality is installing new electricity meters in KwaMsane, outside Mtubatuba.

According to the district municipality, which holds the licence to provide electricity to the township, the upgrading of the meters is also to replace old ones that place people’s households at risk.

District Mayor Siphile Mdaka said about 1 200 meters are expected to be replaced in the township.

“We are currently collecting about 40% of our cost and we should be able to recover our cost,” said Mdaka.

In the process of replacing electricity meters, no fine will be imposed on households where it is found that these have been tampered with or bypassed, but once this is done to the new meter, a fine will be set on that particular household.

“Some of the meters are old and not in good condition, hence we are replacing them. It is wholesale maintenance of electricity infrastructure. The meters were a priority as we are not collecting and people’s households are at risk,” said Mdaka.

Some residents have complained about aged electricity infrastructure, including poles and cables, as well as streetlights.