TCM targets electricity thieves
“Breaching of prepaid meters is rife. “We are going all out to ensure this comes to an end. Residents should not be surprised by inspections being done at households that have tampered with meters.”
LYDENBURG – Thaba Chweu Municipality (TCM) proved that talk is not cheap when it removed illegal electricity connections at Nkanini in Sabie last week. MEC for finance and technical services, Mr Markus Mashego, told the newspaper that those who make use of unlawful power connections and tampered with prepaid meter boxes should know that their days are numbered.
“Those occupying illegal settlements at Nkanini, used cables connected directly to the transformer to gain access to electricity. On account of these direct connections, three transformers have already exploded and had to be replaced. Sabie struggled with water supply because of this. We have now taken action against the culprits. Nkanini is just the beginning.” Since the removal of the cables at Nkanini, TCM has been discussing the safeguarding of the transformer with a security company.
Mashego said the more residents steal electricity, the higher the Eskom account will get. TCM currently owes Eskom more than R300 million. “We have decided that enough is enough. We will also be targeting Mashishing, particularly the illegally occupied municipal land at Matsentse opposite Skhila. They are killing the municipality with illegal connections.”
Mashego said they had already started with the removal of unlawful connections at Matsentse, however, the process has not yet been completed. “We want everything to be done in an effective manner so that no one can access electricity for free. “As the new council under the leadership of executive mayor Selina Mashego, our priority is to reduce the Eskom bill. The only way to do this is by dealing with the illegal connections head-on, this is priority number one.” He added that the second biggest issue was meter tampering.
“Breaching of prepaid meters is rife. “We are going all out to ensure this comes to an end. Residents should not be surprised by inspections being done at households that have tampered with meters.” According to Mashego, the council has had numerous meetings to combat meter breaching, and people should know it is a serious offence. “Breached meters are easy to detect because they show up on our system. We are able to see when a specific block or area does not purchase electricity on a regular basis.” He stipulated that in three months’ time,
TCM expects to see a significant decrease in illegal connections and meter tampering. “We will eraticate prepaid metre breaching in households and businesses completely. This will be the new turnaround strategy.” Mashego said the most important aspect of a municipality is its revenue. “There will be an income, provided we get the right control systems in place. Revenue collection is the most important priority of TCM. If this is in place, service delivery will be rendered to the community to the fullest.
