Tshwane Prepaid Meter Owners Risk Hefty Fines Amid Tampering Crackdown

• Tshwane homeowners with prepaid electricity meters could face fines of up to R75,000 if their meters are found to have been tampered with
• The Freedom Front Plus raised concerns that some residents received fines after municipal technicians bypassed meters during repairs
• Two residents filed criminal complaints with SAPS after allegedly being offered cash deals to have their fines removed

Prepaid electricity users in Tshwane are at risk of fines reaching R75,000 as the metro intensifies its crackdown on meter tampering and electricity theft. But not everyone facing those fines may actually be guilty.

According to a report by BusinessTech, the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) has flagged a troubling pattern of complaints from residents who say they were wrongly accused of bypassing their meters.

According to the party, municipal technicians sometimes arrive at properties to fix reported power problems without the necessary spare parts, and instead bypass the meter temporarily to restore electricity. Shortly after, inspectors arrive at the same homes and hit residents with tampering accusations.

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"When residents report power problems, technicians often arrive without spare parts and bypass the meters to temporarily restore power," the FF+ said. "Shortly afterwards, inspectors visit the same residents' properties and accuse them of having tampered with the meters."

The situation gets worse. The party said some residents were then approached by individuals offering to make the fine disappear in exchange for a cash payment. Two Tshwane residents have since lodged criminal complaints with the South African Police Service over the alleged irregularities.

Tshwane's enforcement drive

The metro's crackdown is not without reason. Tshwane has uncovered 2,339 manipulated prepaid meters, with 494 accounts flagged for repeat offences. The city has recorded over R78 million in costs linked directly to meter tampering.

Nationally, the scale of the problem is significant. Eskom recorded R8.15 billion in non-technical energy losses from electricity theft over 11 months between April 2025 and February 2026. An estimated 1.7 million customers across the country are consuming electricity illegally, and non-technical losses cost up to R23 billion in lost revenue annually.

To combat the problem, Tshwane is replacing old meters with smart prepaid units designed to resist tampering.

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How residents can protect themselves

The City of Tshwane confirmed that no municipal official or technician is authorised to accept or solicit cash payments to cancel fines or alter meter records. Fines must be processed through official channels using gazetted tariffs, not cash transfers or messaging apps.

Residents who receive unlawful demands are urged to report them to SAPS immediately. Formal disputes can be submitted to disputes@tshwane.gov.za or lodged in person at the Client Service Centre in the Isivuno Building.

The FF+ advised residents to photograph their meters before and after any technician visit, document all interactions with officials, and keep reference numbers for every electricity complaint. Under no circumstances should anyone pay cash to have a fine removed.

The party also raised a legal concern about accountability, noting that the metro expects residents to secure meters that are installed in public streets while simultaneously prohibiting residents from moving or privately securing them, a requirement the FF+ described as impossible to meet.

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More on electricity and Eskom

• Briefly News recently reported on how Eskom softened its rooftop solar rules ahead of the 30 September deadline, but kept one threat on the table.
• A 19-year-old Namibian who dropped out of school in Grade 3 built a working electricity system for his family home from discarded materials, and it has powered the household for two years.
• A utility expert says everyday household habits could be quietly adding hundreds of rands to your monthly electricity bill.

Source: Briefly News