The civic organisation has called on authorities to target assets of businesses responsible for theft of electricity from Eskom and municipalities, which runs into billions of rands.
|||Johannesburg – The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) on Thursday called on authorities to target assets of businesses responsible for theft of electricity from Eskom and municipalities, which runs into billions of rands.
Sanco spokesperson Jabu Mahlangu said: “The clampdown on syndicates that are crippling our economy cannot leave out main beneficiaries of this category of organised crime ie mining houses and farmers. Continuing to treat them with kid gloves will only exacerbate the problem.
“You steal electricity, you forfeit your business assets as proceeds of crime. You steal electricity you lose your farm.”
Mahlangu added that the fact that commercial companies had not been prioritised for prepaid meters and regular audits had encouraged meter-bridging and tampering.
“Targeting of indigent households in Soweto before factories and corporate companies in Sandton is a typical example,” he said.
Mahlangu added that some municipalities were burdened with inexplicable electricity debt running into millions of rands as a result of bridging on their supply network, which Eskom confirmed involved about 50 percent of businesses in the commercial and agriculture sector.
Eskom recently reported that it was losing around R2 billion a year through illegal connections, copper cable theft, ghost vending, tampering (bypassing) and non-payment, while municipalities are estimated to lose R6 billion.
Mahlangu urged communities to report syndicates that were tampering with electricity or illegally selling electricity coupons on the black market.
He said the message to those involved in crime syndicates had to be explicit.
“Those involved in sabotaging our economy must not be spared the wrath of the law in accordance with the Criminal Matters Amendment Bill, which makes provision for tougher bail conditions and possible jail terms of up to 30 years and fines of up to R1 million,” he said.
The Samco statement added that from 2014 to 2015, 106 businesses were disconnected because of meter tampering while the number of households affected was 2000.
African News Agency
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