Standerton, 23 April 2025 – The Lekwa Local Municipality has officially laid criminal charges against a resident of Harricane Street in Kosmospark, Standerton, for repeated illegal reconnection to the municipal electricity supply and non-payment of municipal services.
The resident in question was disconnected twice due to non-payment, with an outstanding amount of R160,000. During the second visit, municipal officials removed the circuit breakers to prevent further illegal reconnection. However, the individual unlawfully reconnected the electricity supply and failed to settle the debt.
Following the opening of a criminal case today, municipal representatives visited the property once more and discovered that the resident had again reconnected himself to the power supply. In a further act of defiance, the individual locked the municipal infrastructure, denying officials access to the electricity box.
“This kind of behavior causes major frustration for the municipality,” said Chief Financial Officer Mrs. Vukosi Nkhatha. “It not only undermines the municipality’s ability to enforce compliance but also impacts neighbouring residents. If a complaint is received from a nearby household, our officials would be unable to assist due to the locked infrastructure.”
The case was officially opened by Mrs. Nkhatha and the Manager of Legal Services, Mr. Samuel Muedi. The Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Finance, Cllr Thabang Motaung, was also present, accompanied by other municipal officials and representatives from the electrical service provider.
Cllr Motaung made it clear that the municipality is taking a firm stance on illegal reconnections. “We are aware that some of the municipal officials are reconnecting residents, and we are coming for them. This is only the beginning. More cases will be opened as there are so many residents reconnecting themselves, failing to see how badly this impacts the municipality. The municipality owes Eskom billions of rands, and this is mainly due to stolen electricity that we have to pay—hindering service delivery to the community,” he stated.
The Lekwa Local Municipality urges all residents who are in arrears to come forward and make arrangements to settle their debts.
“We are here to help you pay off your debt. Instead of engaging in criminal activities that will land you in jail, we encourage you to work with us so we can find a solution together,” the municipality emphasised.
Illegal connections pose serious safety risks, undermine municipal operations, and compromise service delivery for all residents.