Electricity theft rampant in KZN
Eskom has identified about 6 000 households in KwaZuluNatal that are illegally connected to the power grid.
KZN general manager Monde Bala said during a briefing on the South Coast yesterday that electricity theft was a major problem in the province, affecting the parastatal’s operations and the supply of municipalities.
“We have identified about 6 000 illegally connected households. It is mainly in informal settlements, but even in formalised settlements we also have meter tampering.”
Other issues were illegal prepaid voucher trading, electricity infrastructure theft and the refusal to pay.
Bala said that led to fatalities or injuries, economic losses, rising prices, job losses and power outages.
The supplier introduced an Energy Losses Programme in 2006 to deal with this scourge. It audits under-paying or non-paying accounts. The meters found tampered with are then fixed.
Prosecution
Bala said their relationship with non-compliant consumers becomes “progressive”. “If the consumer continues to access electricity illegally, we then progress to the next level where they are disconnected, fined or, if there is sufficient evidence, prosecuted,” he said.
Since 2014, the province has seen 29 fatalities and 82 injuries as a result of illegal electricity access.
Eskom has also introduced what is now called Split/smart meters that cannot be tampered with.
They are also in the process of electrifying areas that do not have electricity to prevent residents from making illegal connections.
One area that has been electrified is the Sanathan informal settlement in Umzinto.
According to Lungile Bhengu, 37, who has lived in the area for more than 15 years, there have not been any fatalities since receiving electrification.
“The community requested to be provided with electricity by Eskom and the Umdoni Municipality. We were promised to be connected. However, while we waited, some community members decided to get themselves connected illegally. They did this through a transformer near the Umzinto Secondary School,” he said.
“Others illegally connected themselves to a local clinic, which led to power disruptions. You would have a community member going to the clinic but being unable to receive oxygen because there was no electricity.”
Sixty-six-year-old Gladys Khawula, who has lived in Sanathan since around 1994, admitted to having been illegally connected.
“Now that we have legal connections, I can freely ask the children to cook.”
She lives with three grandchildren aged 7, 11 and 14.
The area was electrified last year. “I can assure you now that there are no electricity-related troubles at the school and the clinic.”
Bhengu said children and even unknowing adult visitors had been killed after touching live wires.
The power utility has started a behaviour change campaign called Operation Khanyisa. Project manager Madeline Kadzinga said it aimed to mobilise all South Africans. “We intend to encourage all to pay for their electricity. We achieve this by creating awareness, educating and mobilising them to report electricity theft.”
Electricity theft is said to be the third largest crime globally after debit card and car theft.