Metro lays charges against ‘rebellious’ Lyttelton complex
The metro said the property had illegally reconnected its power after it was disconnected for owing the city more than R3-million.
The Tshwane metro is pursuing a criminal case against a rebellious shopping complex in Centurion after it had reconnected its power illegally.
The municipality opened a criminal case for tampering with essential infrastructure at Lyttelton SAPS against a business complex in Lyttelton.
The centre was found to have illegally reconnected power supply to its premises.
Finance MMC Jacqui Uys confirmed to Rekord that the case was opened on Thursday morning.
The complex had its electricity disconnected a week ago as part of the Tshwane Ya Tima revenue collection campaign, as it owed the city more than R3-million.
The metro has been identifying non-paying businesses, government departments individual households, and residential estates across the city whose accounts are in arrears.
“We have also uncovered a bigger network of corruption that possibly implicates city officials working with some of these clients, doing illegal reconnections and so this will also prompt further investigation,” Uys told Rekord.
“We intend to go after everyone who breaks the law and reconnects illegally.”
Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said, “It was brought to the city’s attention today that the business complex has illegally reconnected its electricity without making any arrangements with the city,” he said.
“Today’s [March 05] disconnection action should serve as a notice to those who continue to tamper with the city’s infrastructure that their criminal actions will be met with adequate and decisive action from the municipality, working jointly with the criminal justice cluster.”
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He said a precedent was set in a case wherein a Mount Frere businessman was sentenced to 12 years of direct imprisonment on March 9, 2021, for illegal power connection and tampering with Eskom’s infrastructure by the local regional court.
He said the metro’s finance department issued more than 100 job cards for businesses and residential customers whose accounts were in arrears to the tune of R190-million.
“From the list, 50 were successfully disconnected in various areas,” said Mashigo.
“These include two student accommodations in Arcadia, part of the Suncardia shopping complex and residential areas.”
He said the metro also imposed steep fines for meter tampering and illegal connections.
“Some of the challenges the team encountered, which eventually led to unsuccessful disconnections during the two days, range from abandoned buildings, vacant land and lack of access to the locked property.”
He said that the accounts of the abandoned buildings would be subjected to the debt collection process through legal means to recover money against the properties.
“Those accounts where access to the property was a challenge will be re-issued with the full force of our metro police department to enforce access to the termination boxes.”
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