Daily Dispatch
Switching off power thefts
IT SEEMS, at times, there is no end to the string of social challenges confronting our country, a less publicised one being the rampant theft of electricity.
Perhaps the lack of attention has a lot to do with the fact that this particular scourge is largely out of sight, and so naturally, out of mind.
It certainly came as a shock to this newspaper when recently provided with statistics from Buffalo City Metro.
Over a three-year period, the municipality says, 29 people were killed by illegal connections. It’s a frightening statistic and we should accept that the extent of the problem may well be understated.
On available evidence, children would appear to be at greatest risk, especially if they live in a township or informal settlement.
Indeed, the Daily Dispatch reported on the deaths of three youngsters last month in East London – Emihle Mva, Themblihle Rubushe and Lihle Nkantsu.
Emihle and Themblihle were 10 and Lihle 12. Each was oblivious to the hidden danger until it was too late. All three came from poor families.
Township life can be unforgiving at the best of times. Having a ready supply of electricity, even if it is purloined, must lift some of that burden ever so slightly.
But, as we are slowly bearing witness, it comes at an awful human cost, not to mention an economic one.
Buffalo City Metro has told us that an estimated 100 000 shacks are receiving electricity illegally. The cost: R200-million in financial year 2014.
As electricity gets more expensive and urban centres grow denser, that cost rises. Eskom says it amounts to R5-billion annually, a staggering sum when factoring in how badly the utility needs money.
Putting an end to the filching is no easy feat. Illegal cables are replaced as soon as they get removed. And communities have been reluctant to comply, whatever the human toll.
There is no simple answer, although Eskom’s efforts in Soweto, where residents owe R8-billion, are worth noting.
The parastatal has been on a drive to install split prepaid meters. This means the keypad is installed inside the house while the electricity counter is enclosed in a tamper-proof device outside.
News24 reported there was immediate success with the initiative, and revenue losses of 82% among nearly 4 000 residents had fallen to 14%.
When confronting an issue like this, the temptation is to moralise from afar.
What we need to accept, though, is that this is not a simple malady but one arising from poverty, which makes it fraught.
Whatever the solution, it will come at great cost. But one not nearly so large as the price we will all pay if this critical issue remains in the dark for much longer.