The Steve Tshwete Local Municipality has seemingly broken the community’s trust, with more and more residents seeking legal advice on how to address issues with municipal accounts.

Pensioner Maupe Johannes Malapane has turned to the Public Protector’s office to force the municipality to address his consumer complaint, after struggling since 2019 to sort out a breached meter on a subdivided property in Malope Village.

Malapane, who lives at Stand 19A, alleges that his former neighbour breached Stand 19’s prepaid electricity meter with the help of a municipal official, who charged his neighbour for the ‘service’.

The municipality later ordered a replacement of the breached meter and told Malapane that his meter also had to be replaced since the property was subdivided.

Despite the properties having separate prepaid meters, Malapane was issued with an electricity card on the same account as Stand 19.

Another tenant has already moved into the property, and Malapane is unable to remove his name from the neighbouring account, which now totals R180 000 in fines and penalties.

“I am the owner of Stand 19A, and when municipal officials came and identified that Stand 19 had been breached, they disconnected the electricity. When officials came to install a new meter box, they used my details because the owner of Stand 19A refused to pay,” Malapane said.

There is currently no electricity at his property and, worse still, Malapane said his municipal account has been listed as being in default.

“The meter is connected, but I am unable to buy electricity due to this.”

After applying for an electricity-only municipal service in January 2023 and securing an official Electrical Certificate of Compliance in June 2023, Malapane paid the municipality for his electrical connection.

When he tried to finalise the connection, he was told that ‘Stand 19A didn’t exist’, although the billing department is actively tracking it.

Malapane lodged the official complaint on May 12, and the case was formally taken up by the Mpumalanga Provincial Public Protector’s Office in June.

Investigator Sekwala Mothiba said his office is investigating two key points regarding the matter, “The investigation will determine whether officials from the Steve Tshwete Local Municipality caused an undue and unfair delay in issuing the electricity meter card, and whether this administrative delay constitutes improper conduct or maladministration.”

Mothiba emphasised that they will also assess these actions against the standards set by South African law and the Constitution to determine if the municipality failed in its legal duties, and a petition will be sent to Municipal Manager Mandla Mnguni’s office before the end of the week.