Electricity thefts cost eThekwini R50-million

By Zukile Majova

Big business and homeowners who steal electricity from the city are costing ratepayers more than R50-million a year despite modern measures introduced to guard against the illegal connection of power in the eThekwini municipal area.

EThekwini electricity head Howard Whitehead said his department had a special unit monitoring tampering with power boxes at homes and the illegal use of electricity in informal settlements, townships and most upmarket suburbs.

"One would have assumed that it is only the poor who are stealing electricity because they may be really battling to foot the bill, but people in rich suburbs are also connecting themselves illegally.

"Currently, residential properties account for 50 percent of all the revenue lost in illegal connections, while the other chunk is stolen by big business. This does not mean that many businesses steal electricity, but that the few who do, steal a lot of it," he said.

Whitehead said people in upmarket suburbs were not paying their electricity bills because they were "rebelling against the new establishment (the eThekwini Municipality)".

"As far as businesses are concerned, I would say theft of electricity would be deliberate," he said.

Whitehead said illegal connections accounted for 2,5 percent of the city's electricity losses.

"While it remains a concern, we are proud that we are able to cap it at 2,5 percent while other cities have suffered losses above 30 percent.

"This is all thanks to our Revenue Protection Services, which regularly inspects customer connection meters and is able to spot tampering immediately," he said.

The "theft" of electricity costs the city of Tshwane about R600-million a year.

Asked how people in poor areas were able to run up bills of more than R10 000 while other people's electricity was disconnected for owing less than R1 000, Whitehead said disconnections were done over a 40-day cycle, which included notices of intent to cut the power.

"Another thing that must be clarified is that the R10 000 bill some people accumulate could be a consolidated bill, which means it may include rates, water, traffic fines and electricity. The last possibility is that the person would have been disconnected and he illegally connected himself, leading to the bill being further accumulated."

Last week, inspectors charged an Avon Crescent, Durban North, resident with illegally connecting his house to electricity from the street lights.

Electricity deputy head Sew Harilal said electricity to the home had been disconnected on March 13 but the owner had connected himself from a nearby street light.

"We have now cut the electricity cable leading to his house, taken the meter away and charged him a R300 fine.

"To be reconnected, he will have to first pay for whatever amount of electricity he stole, settle his debt and reapply for his account, which means he will have to pay R1 475," said Harilal.