Lekwa Municipality has been going full-out with electricity inspections, but there is more to this than meets the eye.
A quick run-down of events include the recent inspection at the Indian Complex on 25 November, where they concluded that most of the meters are bridged or bypassed, costing them millions of rands.
The team cut off electricity to four shops and one owner already paid the fine.
Lekwa’s fines amount to R38 813 for a first offence, R64 689 for a second and R103 502 for a third.
They said the circuit breaker will be removed in cases where illegal connections are done.
The Standerton Advertiser published in its edition of 29 November the municipality’s views on bridging and illegal connections and their inspection programme early October resulted in fines of R1.7-mil issued to businesses.
Also read: Lekwa catches businesses with illegal connections red-handed
Ms Thobeka Mtshiselwa, communications manager of the municipality, referred to the negative impact of transgressions on the Eskom account.
“This initiative tries to ensure people pay for their services,” Ms Mtshiselwa said.
The community was repeatedly informed about Lekwa’s intentions and they made good on their promise and disconnected municipal electric poles in Ext 6, Vodacom, Mahala Park and other sections on Tuesday, 23 July.
They said it will help to lower the demand to within the available capacity and for the safety of the community.
According to their communications department, faulty and tampered meters would be replaced.
A stern warning was issued that should a second offence be registered after this initial inspection, a penalty in the form of a fine, according to a council-approved tariff structure, will be payable.
The work is carried out in terms of Section 101 of the Municipal Systems Act of 2000.
The newspaper also alerted residents on their website in July and Mr Herbert Shai, the newly appointed HOD of Technical Services, acknowledged that the municipality is losing money through bridging and illegal connections.
Lekwa also mentioned they will be installing smart meters, that users can not tamper with, in every area in Lekwa.
The Standerton Advertiser spoke to several businessmen in Standerton who agreed to give their side of the story, on condition of anonymity.
An allegation that shone like a beacon was that Lekwa had no meters in stock in certain periods last year.
The first businessman told the tale of the municipality allegedly bypassing the meter and being issued with a fine of R119 000.
He did however, contacted them several times with his account of a meter not registering and the individuals involved, the electricity however, had not been reconnected on Wednesday, 4 December.
Another business had the generator running after being cut-off and received a fine of R116 000.
In this specific case a smart meter was installed and the municipal worker, according to information, cut the seals and did not put it back.
Their situation did not look hopeless since they were waiting on Wednesday, after lengthy negotiations, to be put back on.
A businessman further discovered that a buying pattern was the reason for a disconnection and considered insufficient after a random inspection.
A trustworthy source asked whether the municipality published their tariffs for meter tampering, bridging and bypassing.
The newspaper sent the following questions via WhatsApp to Ms Mtshiselwa on Friday, 6 December at 10.20am:
• On which date did council approve the fines for bridging/bypassing of meters?
• The municipality had, according to information, no meters in stock last year and bypassed some connections themselves, could you confirm?
• Did the people in Mahala Park, Vodacom and other sections receive fines in July this year when Lekwa disconnected illegal connections?
• A national daily said Lekwa owes Eskom R1,3 billion- is that correct?
Ms Mtshiselwa indicated on Monday, 9 December that the questions were forwarded to the relevant departments.
