R185 000 power bill but left in the dark

JOHANNESBURG: Nomvula Khumalo spent more than a decade asking Eskom to connect her Soweto home, but all she got was an electricity bill for R185 000.

Khumalo, 57, grew up in the tiny two-room, semi-detached house in White City.

She remembers that sometime in the 1970s or 80s the area was electrified: all the neighbours got power – except for her family, although they did the wiring and installed a meter box. Even two homes in the same building got electricity.

Khumalo left the area as an adult and later returned. Since 2003 she has been asking Eskom to sort out the connection. She has had no luck.

“I don’t have any hope, we are in God’s hands,” said Khumalo.

Three years ago she stopped taking routine medicine for her diabetes because doctors told her it was useless if she couldn’t keep it in a fridge.

Only one of her seven children finished matric, which she said was because it was so difficult for them to study by candlelight.

Some of her 14 grandchildren live with her and she is hoping they will be able to remain in school.

One of her daughters who lives with her is 34 and “has never experienced electricity”, said Khumalo.

This week Eskom confirmed that there had been a billing mix-up, but couldn’t explain why Khumalo’s house wasn’t connected or why Eskom’s Tshiawelo office hadn’t helped her sort it out.

A Johannesburg city councillor tried to help her earlier this year, going to the Tshiawelo Eskom office on her behalf, but officials told him she would have to pay R15 000 for a connection, then mysteriously started billing Khumalo.

The last bill was for R185 264.35. Independent Media sent a copy of the account to Eskom, pointing out that although the address was correct, the meter number was not the one at Khumalo’s house; that Khumalo had never had electricity; and her meter had logged a total of just 6.7kWh since it was installed decades ago.

An Eskom spokesperson said the meter number on the bill had incorrectly been linked to Khumalo and that it was in fact for someone with a similar name living in Klipspruit.

“All the bills incorrectly charged under her name will be cancelled and the correct person will be billed accordingly,” said the spokesperson. “We apologise for any inconvenience caused and would like to confirm that the customer (Khumalo) does not have an existing account on our system.”

But there is no indication of whether Khumalo will ever get her home on the grid. Independent Media explained Khumalo’s difficulties to Eskom, saying she had tried since 2003 to raise the matter with the Tshiawelo office, but officials repeat- edly told her to pay R15 000 and asked how she could get an electricity connection.

“Khumalo should visit the nearest Eskom offices for the application of electricity supply, which will assist us in having the customer’s correct details,” said the Eskom spokesperson. The power utility could not explain how much a connection would cost.

Khumalo said after Independent Media contacted Eskom, officials visited her, checked her home wiring, but left without telling her anything.

I would like to confirm that the customer (Khumalo) does not have an existing account on our system