Note to Editors: Please find an English soundbite by Michael Waters MPL here
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has written to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) to raise, amongst other things, the City of Ekurhuleni’s (CoE) insistence that residents must obtain an affidavit and open a case at a police station when they report stolen electricity cables.
This, before the City will replace the stolen cables.
The City is in the midst of an electricity infrastructure theft crisis. When cables that link up houses with municipal infrastructure are stolen, and residents report the crime, they are only able to be reinstated once they produce an affidavit, and proof that a case of theft has been opened with the South African Police Service (SAPS). Historically, the City charged an entirely unreasonable R1750.00 reconnection fee in such cases, but that was struck down following DA pressure.
The current arrangement also creates an unnecessary barrier to service delivery, as multiple instances have been reported where SAPS would not open a case, as the cables are municipal property, and as such, the municipality needs to open the case.
The DA is also of the view that electricity cables are the property of the City, and it is their responsibility to open cases not that of the residents.
It is unacceptable that the CoE expects residents to do their job.
The DA has requested NERSA to investigate the following:
- Whether the CoE is obliged to pay back all the R1 750.00 they extorted from residents and if so whether all the money has been repaid to the respective residents?
- Whether the CoE transgressed its licence agreement with NERSA by extorting money from residents and if so, what penalty is NERSA going to impose on CoE?
- Whether the onus of obtaining an affidavit and the opening of a case is the responsibility of residents or that of the CoE?
- Whether the CoE has transgressed its licence agreement with NERSA by insisting residents obtain an affidavit and open a case when the owners of the stolen cables are the CoE?
The DA’s fight for the residents of Ekurhuleni is ongoing, and will not relent. Good governance is non-negotiable.