A businessman in Burger Street, Standerton suffered extensive damage after a municipal worker removed the pre-paid meter at the rented establishment.
According to business owner’s wife, Ms Viki Fourie, five employees of Lekwa entered the shop on Monday, July 19 at noon.
They wanted to remove the meter and since Andries was programming a vehicle, he said they had to wait,” Ms Fourie explained.
He said they had to schedule a meeting.
“This intricate work can’t be interrupted,” she added.
The worker then went out of the shop and switched off the electricity.
The cost of the interrupted programming, amounts to R50 000.
A fine of R46 733,42 was left behind and the reconnection fee, also paid by the owners, was R1 120.
According to information, the Lekwa-employees said the meter was not sealed.
An anonymous source said on Tuesday, July 20 that the parties involved, are now shrugging their shoulders.
Lekwa however, was insisting on a reference number.
A robbery took place at the shop in November where the whole building was looted and electrical cables and the circuit board were stolen.
Damage was estimated at R30 000.
The pre-paid meter was left on the windowsill.
A case was opened at the Standerton Police Station (123/11/2020).
The source said the owners decided to put in an extra meter as a control mechanism, but the municipality had no stock available.
It was consequently privately bought and installed.
The party who installed the meter is now nowhere to be found
“The municipality was not interested at all in the paper work involved in the robbery,” the source also said.
The meter readings were given monthly to Lekwa and the tenants made sure the meter was running.
The conduct of the municipal workers was also described as rude and arrogant.
Lekwa switched on the power at the business on Wednesday, July 21 at 13:00 after installing a third meter, saying the previous meter was post-paid and not pre-paid.
“The data was written half-way when the system crashed,” Andries said.
Mr Fourie ordered a new computer box (R28 000 excluding VAT) that has to be accessed to a server in Germany. Payment had to be made for the access.
The delay was explained to the customer.
The Standerton Advertiser contacted the communications manager of the municipality, Ms Thobeka Mtshiselwa, on Wednesday, July 21 and gave a detailed account of the incident.
Feedback is awaited.