Tshwane residents allege R25,000 tamper fines, say city silent

Residents in Tshwane say they have been targeted by an alleged electricity extortion syndicate and left without help from authorities, according to The Citizen.

Power cut and disputed tampering claim

According to The Citizen, Barend Botha of Booysens in Pretoria has been without power since 21 May. Botha told the newspaper the power was off when his household returned in the afternoon and that there was no disconnection notice or paperwork from the city. He said he reported the fault and that a contractor later reconnected power at the pole, but the supply immediately went off again.

Meter inspection and demand for a tamper code

Botha told The Citizen that a contractor from the city’s credit control department tested his meter, broke the seal and opened the panel behind the meter to check for a bypass or bridge connection but found nothing. “He handed me the seal and told me to throw it away and said the meter was in tamper mode and we needed to obtain a tamper code,” Botha said, as reported by The Citizen.

Allegations of threats and high fines

According to The Citizen, Botha said he was sent to the credit control office where staff shouted at him, accused him and told him they would not restore power unless he paid. He said he was called to pay R25,000 and was threatened when he said he could not afford it. Botha questioned why he would deliberately tamper with power after clearing substantial municipal arrears on purchase of the house, the newspaper reported.

Household impact

The Citizen reports Botha has solar at his house and a gas geyser, which cover basic needs, but he said the first month in June was particularly difficult and that he calculated he spent over R7,000 on diesel in the first three weeks. He also said food spoiled and described safety concerns in the area.

Other residents and political response

According to The Citizen, Botha said he knows of a woman who sold her car to pay a fine and of a resident who was threatened after refusing to pay a bribe. The newspaper also reported comments from the DA in Tshwane. DA finance spokesperson Jacqui Uys said the DA formally wrote to the city manager on 18 March after numerous residents reported a pattern of unlawful disconnections, meter removals, inflated tampering penalties and individuals offering to make fines disappear in exchange for cash payments.

Police and city response

The Citizen reports that when the DA last week accompanied a resident to open a case, the South African Police Service declined to open it, leaving affected residents without the protection and intervention the DA said they deserved. The DA said it will approach the public protector to investigate the alleged corruption and maladministration and the apparent failure to investigate the allegations adequately.

According to The Citizen, the City of Tshwane had not commented by the time of publication.

What residents say they want

Those quoted by The Citizen want the alleged extortion investigated, the perpetrators identified and assistance restoring legitimate electricity accounts and supply. The DA has signalled it will pursue further action with oversight authorities.