Man bust for selling counterfeit electricity vouchers
The price for ghost vending is, therefore, paid by society as a whole.
A Johannesburg man faces time in prison after he was caught selling counterfeit prepaid electricity vouchers, a practice also known as ‘ghost vending’.
The suspect was arrested in Kagiso, where it is believed he operated.
In a joint operation, the police and Hawks searched the suspect’s residence and found 598 fake prepaid vouchers as well as R8 500 in cash. The suspect and the evidence were handed over to the Kagiso Police where a case of fraud was opened.
“The buying and selling of fake prepaid electricity vouchers is a crime that has taken root in many parts of the country,” said Dileep John, Eskom’s Head of Operation Khanyisa, in a press statement. John heads the national campaign aimed at fighting electricity theft.
“Many might think it’s a victimless crime, only affecting Eskom. But this is not the case. The loss of revenue suffered by Eskom due to this crime contributes to the need for the national power utility to increase the tariffs charged to paying customers. The price for ghost vending is, therefore, paid by society as a whole,” John explained.
“So it is important that everyone helps kill the market for ghost vendors by refusing to buy fake electricity vouchers and reporting suspected ghost vendors to Operation Khanyisa by sending anonymous tip-offs via SMS to 32211, at a cost of R1 per SMS,” he added.
The arrest took place while another major case involving ghost vending was underway at the Palm Ridge Regional Court, also in Johannesburg. The four accused in this case now face a lengthy prison sentence after they were found guilty on over 16 000 counts related to electricity theft. Sentencing in this case commences on 13 February.
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