Lekwa Local Municipality has embarked on credit control operation that include cutting illegal electricity connection and bridged meters. The operation is currently underway at Extension 6, Sakhile township in Standerton.
Meter bridging and illegal electricity connection often lead to compromising quality of services, electrical infrastructure overload and ultimate damage to the infrastructure.
The operation is part of revenue enhancement and credit control measure aimed at ensuring that communities are paying for electricity services rendered by the municipality.
“Tempering with electricity infrastructure and illegal connections lead to the municipality exceeding maximum electricity supply demand and therefore the need to implement load reduction.
“Once we exceed the maximum electricity demand, Eskom penalises the municipality financially and yet we are not receiving any money for electricity usage,” said the Executive Mayor, Cllr. Delani Thabethe who is leading the team.
He added that overloading as result of illegal connections also lead to transformers exploding and subjecting the entire community to darkness.
Illegal electricity connections and tempering with electricity infrastructure also poses a serious safety hazard that can lead to loss of life to the surrounding community.
Residents who are found to have bridged their meters and / or having illegal connection are cut off from electricity supply are fined a reconnection fee and additional fee when the meter is damaged.