The Endumeni Council is investigating claims that employees of the electrical auditing company hired to stamp out illegal connections are taking bribes from residents who are meter tampering.
Endumeni is losing nearly R2-million a month because of illegal electricity connections.
At a special Council meeting, Mayor Thulani Mahaye said the had received reports that a staff member from the company had allegedly taken bribes from residents to ensure that tampered meter boxes were not removed.
Mayor Mahaye told the meeting that although the box was removed, it was later brought back after R500 had apparently paid by the resident and that the ‘tampering continued’.
The claim was backed up by Councillor Bongiwe Mbatha who said ‘although Council is paying this company to root out illegal connections, they are betraying our own mandate’.
Councillor Siboniso Mbatha also made another allegation that a ‘certain staff member’ from the company had left his cellphone number with one family whose meter had been tampered.
“The family phoned this employee and after R1000 was received the meter was not removed although it was an illegal connection,” he said.
Endumeni Speaker, Siduduzo Mdluli told the Council that ‘they should be not be emotional when dealing with this issue’.
“This company has managed to cut our losses due to electricity theft from R18-million to R12-million.”
It was agreed that an investigation be conducted.
An official from the company, who was at the meeting, said that 295 tempered meter boxes were removed and 40 were replaced.
He said he had no knowledge of such allegations about staff members who are bribed.
He also promised to investigate this matter and also emphasised that,”it is unacceptable if these allegations were found true”.