[DEBATE] : (Fwd) Electricity decommodification in Durban

[Patrick Bond]

www.themercury.co.za

SOUTH AFRICA

Big business and upmarket areas also blamed

Electricity thefts cost R50 million
April 11, 2006

By Zukile Majova

Big business and homeowners who steal electricity from the city are costing 
ratepayers more than R50 million a year despite modern measures introduced 
to guard against the illegal connection of power in the eThekwini municipal 
area.

EThekwini electricity head Howard Whitehead said his department had a 
special unit monitoring tampering with power boxes at homes and the illegal 
use of electricity in informal settlements, townships and most upmarket 
suburbs.

"One would have assumed that it is only the poor who are stealing 
electricity because they may be really battling to foot the bill, but people 
in rich suburbs are also connecting themselves illegally.

"Currently, residential properties account for 50% of all the revenue lost 
in illegal connections, while the other chunk is stolen by big business. 
This does not mean that many businesses steal electricity, but that the few 
who do, steal a lot of it," he said.

Whitehead said people in upmarket suburbs were not paying their electricity 
bills because they were "rebelling against the new establishment (the 
eThekwini Municipality)".

"As far as businesses are concerned, I would say theft of electricity would 
be deliberate," he said.

Whitehead said illegal connections accounted for 2.5% of the city's 
electricity losses.

"While it remains a concern, we are proud that we are able to cap it at 
2.5%, while other cities have suffered losses above 30%.

"This is all thanks to our Revenue Protection Services, which regularly 
inspects customer connection meters and is able to spot tampering 
immediately," he said.

The "theft" of electricity costs the city of Tshwane about R600 million a 
year.

Asked how people in poor areas were able to run up bills of more than R10 
000 while other people's electricity was disconnected for owing less than R1 
000, Whitehead said disconnections were done over a 40-day cycle, which 
included notices of intent to cut the power.

"Another thing that must be clarified is that the R10 000 bill some people 
accumulate could be a consolidated bill, which means it may include rates, 
water, traffic fines and electricity. The last possibility is that the 
person would have been disconnected and he illegally connected himself, 
leading to the bill being further accumulated."

Last week, inspectors charged an Avon Crescent, Durban North, resident with 
illegally connecting his house to electricity from the street lights.

Electricity deputy head Sew Harilal said electricity to the home had been 
disconnected on March 13 but the owner had connected himself from a nearby 
street light.

"We have now cut the electricity cable leading to his house, taken the meter 
away and charged him a R300 fine.

"To be reconnected, he will have to first pay for whatever amount of 
electricity he stole, settle his debt and reapply for his account, which 
means he will have to pay R1 475," said Harilal.