Electricity theft: Eskom targets ‘unscrupulous’ contractors

Johannesburg - Theft of electricity in the commercial sector is rife and accounts for 54 percent of Eskom’s total losses.

The parastatal said that electricity theft is not happening only in the residential sector as is commonly believed.

It will now be intensifying its focus on the business community and the “unscrupulous” contractors responsible for illegal connections in this sector.

Speaking recently at the Small Business Expo, Dileep John (Eskom’s head of Operation Khanyisa) said that in South Africa, small businesses not only have to contend with many challenges such as access to finance and turbulent economic conditions, but they also fall victim to electricity theft.

“Small businesses not only suffer when production comes to a grinding halt owing to electricity theft, but they also become tempted to steal electricity themselves,” he said.

He used Mankweng, in Limpopo, as an example where the owner of a popular pizza franchise appeared in the Mankweng Magistrate’s Court after being disconnected by Eskom, yet continued to receive power through an illegal connection.

In another incident, a tavern owner was fined and his power disconnected after it emerged that he had been connecting illegally since 2011.

John urged SMMEs not to fall into the trap of stealing electricity. He also encouraged them to report the perpetrators responsible for this crime.

Since the launch of Operation Khanyisa, a national campaign aimed at promoting the legal, safe and efficient use of electricity, Eskom has been using law enforcement against perpetrators in all sectors. This has resulted in the arrest of 50 electricity-theft suspects and the opening of 26 cases in various courts.

“We are now intensifying our focus on the business community and the unscrupulous contractors responsible for illegal connections in this sector,” John said.

John said that entrepreneurs not only create and bring to life new technologies, products and services, but also contribute significantly towards South Africa’s GDP and employment creation.

“In a developing country such as ours where unemployment levels are high, entrepreneurship should be encouraged and small business supported - not brought to their knees owing to electricity theft. We continue to urge people to keep on reporting electricity theft anonymously to Crime Line at 32211 (R1 per SMS),” said John.

anna.cox@inl.co.za

@annacox

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