Residents whose electricity supplies were disconnected by the Tshwane metro due to alleged tampering and illegal connections have come forward, claiming they have been wrongly accused and burdened with substantial penalties.

The complaints come as the metro intensifies its Revenue Protection Programme aimed at identifying electricity theft, illegal connections and tampered meters across the metro.

Among those affected is resident Stean Venter, who has formally objected to allegations that he was involved in electricity theft or illegal electrical connections.

Venter said he acted in good faith when electrical work was carried out on his property.

According to him, an electrician installed a sub-meter on a flat situated on the property in 2023.

The same electrician later issued a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) for the property’s electrical wiring during 2024.

“At all times, I acted in good faith and trusted that the installation and wiring were completed professionally and in accordance with regulations, as I do not possess the necessary technical knowledge myself,” said Venter.

He said municipal officials recently arrived at the property and disconnected the electricity supply, accusing him and his household of having an incorrect electrical connection and stealing electricity.

“These allegations are extremely distressing to me, as we have proof that substantial amounts were paid every month for electricity.

“This clearly confirms that we have been paying for our electricity and had no intention whatsoever of breaking the law or using electricity illegally,” he said.

Venter further alleged that the officials who carried out the disconnection acted in an unprofessional and disrespectful manner.

“They also entered my property without my permission, which I found unacceptable,” he claimed.

He said he was later informed that about R78 000 would need to be paid before the electricity supply could be restored.

Venter stated that he simply cannot afford such a large amount, as his income does not allow for it.

He added that he subsequently visited the municipal offices in Hatfield with supporting documents and evidence in an attempt to resolve the matter but felt his concerns were not properly considered.

“I respectfully request that this situation be considered fairly. At all times, I relied on a qualified electrician to carry out the work correctly. I believe it is unfair for me to be held solely responsible for possible faults or mistakes over which I had neither the technical knowledge nor control.”

Another affected resident, Erika Swart, said her family has been without electricity since May 18.

Swart said municipal officials accused them of tampering with their meter, despite the device still being sealed.

“According to them, we have tampered with the meter. But the meter was still sealed and in the exact same condition that it was [when it was] installed in February this year,” she said.

She alleged that officials remotely disconnected the electricity supply several times before opening the meter.

“They broke it open with a screwdriver and said we cut the communication wires. But they put our power off from outside about six times before entering and opening our meter.”

Swart strongly denied the allegations of tampering with the meter.

“This is a false accusation at its best. They ‘tamper’ with [the meter] and then want to come and say the clients did it.”

She described the situation as deeply frustrating and said affected residents feel powerless to defend themselves against the allegations.

In response to Rekord’s enquiries, metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the municipality is currently implementing an aggressive auditing and inspection programme aimed at reducing energy losses and improving revenue collection.

“The city is currently implementing an aggressive programme to audit and inspect all electricity connections and meters to minimise energy losses and improve revenue collection to cover bulk electricity purchases from Eskom and other related services,” said Mashigo.

According to Mashigo, Revenue Protection Teams conduct inspections daily and disconnect supplies where evidence of tampering is found.

He revealed that a total of 3 330 accounts were found to have been tampered with this year and were subsequently charged tampering fees.

Mashigo added that residents are provided with a notice following a disconnection and advised to visit a customer care centre for further information.

Regarding cases where qualified electricians performed installations and issued Certificates of Compliance, Mashigo said non-compliance resulting from illegal connections, meter tampering, or unmetered connections remains subject to enforcement action regardless of whether a CoC was issued.

“Each case is assessed on its own merits, and investigations are conducted to determine responsibility,” he added.

Mashigo further explained that the current tariff structure includes a tampering fee of R30 423.25, as well as a punitive charge of R3 622.50 per month for 12 months to recover losses associated with unmetered or under-billed electricity consumption.

He said this results in a total charge of R43 470, excluding any interest that may accrue on unpaid balances.

Residents who believe they have been wrongly accused can submit disputes to disputes@tshwane.gov.za or lodge complaints with the Public Protector, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) or the courts.

Mashigo said the metro is aware of fraudulent activities involving contractors and other individuals and has ongoing investigations aimed at addressing these issues.

“The city’s forensics team is actively investigating reported leads and is working diligently to uncover and put an end to these scams.”

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