City of Tshwane Gives Residents 10 Days to Fess Up to Illegal Connections

• The City of Tshwane has warned residents and business owners that the window to come clean about illegal connections is closing.
• The city offered a grace period in the beginning of August to individuals who had tampered with their water or electricity meters in any way
• Residents and businesses that arent granted amnesty will be fined up to R200 000 and R10m respectively

PRETORIA - The City of Tshwane says Tshwane residents and businesses guilty of tampering with the water and electricity network have 10 days to fess up, or they will be subject to consequences.

The city launched an amnesty period in the beginning of August that would exempt offenders from prosecution and fines. The amnesty is due to end on Friday, 30 September.

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According to TimesLIVE, the amnesty programme covers residents and businesses who have created illegal connections, tampered with electricity and water meter or illegally reconnected a meter after a credit control disconnection.

Other offences include paying a bribe to remove an outstanding amount on an account, open a new municipal account or have a meter bypassed to record incorrect or lower consumption.

Finance political head Peter Sutton said that once amnesty is granted, the metering will be corrected, and the account holder would begin paying for the services from the date that the pardon is granted, SowetanLIVE reports.

If residents or business owners fail to be granted amnesty, the consequences involve a R200 000 fine for household accounts and R10 m for business accounts. The city will also open a criminal case against the offenders and pursue the recovery of lost income.

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South Africans react to the City of Tshwane's warning

While some social media users think the City of Tshwane's amnesty programme is a good idea, other believe the threats of fines and prosecution are idle.

Here are some comments:

@Winkie1306 claimed:

"Most businesses in PMB have illegal electricity connections, and the corrupt ANC Municipality does nothing."

@Thabisomash2621 said:

"Good move. I support that warning towards citizens who had transgressed the rules of law when they made illegal connection of electric cables thereon Eskom poles"

Tebzangwana Matotora Kgoshi asked:

"People are not working, Eskom wants to increase electricity by 32% now they wonder why people connect illegally, should they stay in the dark? Would they feel conformable in their shoes?"

Muduhulu Waha Vhandalamo commented:

"ANC promised us freebies."

Masilu Moratuwa-Toro Thole added:

"People must just pay, simple as that. If people can't pay, we must blame Government for not helping to grow the economy cause municipalities need money to provide services."

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Tshepang Billy Seema pointed out:

"Good thing is that they issued a warning first, unlike some municipalities I know here in Limpopo."

Muligwe Nelwamondo Nduvho Lenexx posted:

"Idle threat do they even know the houses."

Kenny Zwane said:

"Even if the DA bring the whole army, they will achieve nothing, especially in the townships. There will be blood and Die Poppe sal dans "

City of Tshwane cuts electricity from residents living in affluent golf estate that owe R16 million

In similar news, Briefly News reported that to recover the R16 million debt in the City of Tshwane, more than 400 households in the Copperleaf Golf Estate had their electricity disconnected. The municipality has launched a "amnesty project" to recoup debts owed by unpaid electricity bills and unauthorised connections.

On the golf estate, a few residences bypassed their electricity metres. Inspectors would be going to different parts of the municipality, according to city spokeswoman Lindela Mashigo, to cut off any unauthorised connections. He claimed that while the city is also cracking down on townships, it is not specifically targeting wealthy communities.

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The estate dissociated itself from those accused by posting a statement on Twitter. Copperleaf Country Estate claimed in the post that it has no debts to the City of Tshwane. However, some Copperleaf residents are liable to the municipality.

Source: Briefly News