Electricity, water thieves to face harsh penalties

Water and electricity consumers in the area of supply of Polokwane Municipality will soon face penalties of between R70 000 and R1 million if found to be bridging water and electricity meters.
This is in accordance with a resolution taken during Friday’s special council meeting after a report tabled in council revealed meter bridging to be one of the major causes for the escalation of the municipality’s Eskom account from an average of R85 million per month to a record breaking R103 million for July, resulting in an annual loss of close to R85 million.
According to the report, it was found that bridging of meters and tampering with equipment were detected accross the entire city with 66 meters being bridged in one building in Ladanna.
The fine for the first detected bridging by a domestic user will be R70 000, followed by a fine of R170 000 for a second bridging. For business premises and rental rooms, the first fine will be R220 000 and R620 000 for a second bridge. For a third instance of bridging, the fine for domestic users and businesses and rental rooms will be
R500 000 and R1 million respectively and the consumers will be disconnected from the grid.
Failure to pay the penalties will also lead to disconnection from the grid.
During a media briefing on Monday, Polokwane Municipal Manager Dikgape Makobe explained that the drastic measures were necessary to protect the municipality’s revenue because the current fine of R13 500 for bridging and tampering is out of context. “Some consumers argue that their accounts are in excess of R13 500 and therefore rather pay the fine,” Makobe explained.
Makobe also announced that a permanent revenue protection team will be employed to do inspections and audits of meters and accounts to detect malpractices and to enforce the penalties. He added that the public participation process will commence later this month and that the new regulations will be promulgated and enforced before the end of the year.

Story/photo: BARRY VILJOEN
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