An FF Plus motion demanding that the current municipal by-law on electricity supply should be amended to impose more severe fines on power thieves has been accepted by the council of the Mbombela Local Municipality.
The previous by-law imposed a fine of just R500. The FF Plus proposes a fine of R5 000 per domestic offender and R20 000 for a second, similar offence. The party further requests that businesses should be fined R10 000 for a first offence and up to R30 000 for a second offence.
The Municipality, which serves Mbombela/Nelspruit, Barberton, Hazyview, Kaapschehoop, Skukuza and White River, currently owes Eskom approximately R1,4 billion. Eskom’s decision to supply only the minimum required amount of power to municipalities with overdue accounts is unfairly punishing residents who loyally pay their bills by failing to take more stringent action against power thieves.
Although the abovementioned debt is not due to power theft alone, it does play a significant role.
A progress report on a local power meter audit, which was tabled in the council in May, found that about 1 200 fines had been issued to residents who tampered with power meters. The audit process is still underway.
These findings raise serious concerns. So far, the Municipality has done nothing to increase the fines in the bylaws to deter power thieves.
At present, these section 8 fines make no distinction between residential and registered business premises where power infrastructure has been tampered with.
Businesses that tamper with power meters to pay less for power should be subjected to more severe fines or longer prison sentences.
The abovementioned motion must now go through a public participation process before it can be adopted.
The FF Plus will continue to put pressure on the Mbombela Municipality until the systems needed to totally eradicate power theft and tampering with power meters have been put in place.
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