Alleged extortion by City Power’s technicians sparks investigation
City Power’s technicians stand accused of bribing residents to restore their power.
A shocking incident was highlighted in a release from Ward 56 Clr Michal Crichton in the City of Joburg (CoJ) regarding City Power (CP) technicians allegedly demanding R2 500 from residents to restore their power.
“This is despite CP officials and contractors being strictly prohibited from charging residents for power restoration. The incident occurred on January 14 on the corner of Ben Alder Road and 3rd Avenue, The Hill.”
According to Crichton, pictures of the vehicle and its registration number were obtained, and an investigation has been requested.
“CP Reuven management has denied that the individuals involved were their employees or contractors. However, concerns remain about how these individuals knew about the power outage and what needed to be done to restore it,” he said.
This incident is not isolated. Chrchton has had reports from several residents with similar experiences.
He believes a full-blown extortion racket is operating in the CoJ, with inside information on residents’ power issues being exploited.
The councillor will request the Group Forensics and Investigation Services look into this matter.
CP general manager Rakefa Mokoro denied the allegations, “My team denies knowledge of these contractors, but we have asked for an investigation into the matter.”
