Mashatile: Municipalities must do better job of connecting communities to power grid to eliminate crime networks capitalising on illegal connections

Deputy President Paul Mashatile says if municipalities did a better job at ensuring communities are all connected to the electricity grid, it would eliminate criminal networks capitalising on poor people through illegal connections. 

Answering questions in the National Assembly on Thursday, Mashatile said by the end of July, debt owed to Eskom had reached R102 billion. 

Eskom estimates this figure could reach R300 billion by 2030 if there’s no urgent intervention.

The deputy president said that although there’s resistance to prepaid meters, it would allow for better debt management and for consumers to only buy what they can afford. 

Mashatile said if municipalities continued to supply electricity in the hope that consumers will pay, it would not be able to come out of the debt spiral. 

"People must access as they can afford. Then we make it affordable for the indigent, in line with the policy."

Mashatile said while it’s not disputed that electricity in South Africa is expensive, those behind illegal connections were, in fact, stealing from communities. 

"If we don’t connect them, the izinyokanyoka comes. They connect them, they charge them, but that money won’t go to Eskom."

Mashatile said municipalities needed a proper indigent policy because these were known to have been abused in the past.

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