The state had opposed bail, but the court ruled that releasing the accused served the interests of justice.
Picture: NPA/ Supplied
Seven people accused of running a multimillion-rand electricity fraud scheme at the Emfuleni Local Municipality have been granted bail of R20 000 each by the Vanderbijlpark Magistrate’s Court.
Bail conditions imposed
The accused must attend all court appearances until the case is finalised and must live at the addresses they gave the court.
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana, they must also report to police twice a week.
“They are further required to report twice weekly at the Vanderbijlpark Police Station, every Monday and Friday between 6am and 6pm,” she said.
The accused have been barred from leaving South Africa and must hand in their passports. Mahanjana said they may not interfere with the case.
“They may not apply for new travel documents and are prohibited from interfering with witnesses or the ongoing investigation,” she said.
Who is accused and what they face
The seven accused are David Seneekal, 31, Caroline Smangele Maduna, 39, Kenneth Zongezile Mahobe, 35, Hlawutelo Baloyi, 29, Pule Meshack Masilo, 36, Andries Bafana Maduna, 48, and Sibusiso Patrick Tshabalala, 46.
They face charges including fraud, theft of electricity worth about R9.9 million, an additional R150 000 fraud and theft charge, money laundering and tampering with essential infrastructure.
How the scheme allegedly worked
Mahanjana said the fraud ran from February 2024 to June 2026, targeting homes and businesses whose accounts had fallen into arrears and been cut off.
“The accused allegedly approached affected business owners and residents and offered to reconnect their electricity supply in exchange for payment,” she said.
Municipal records were then allegedly altered to hide the true amounts owed, though the balances later reappeared while the illegal connections stayed active.
Affected customers reported the matter to the municipality, which referred it to police.
Police arrested the seven on 21 August 2026.
Case postponed
The state had opposed bail, but the court ruled that releasing the accused served the interests of justice.
The case was postponed to 18 September 2026, when the court will rule on bail for an eighth accused, Janitha van Reenen Coetzee.
