Johannesburg - Eskom insists that those using illegal connections could face the same fate as a Limpopo electricity thief who is now spending time behind bars for the crime.
The power utility achieved its victory when the Malamulele Magistrate's Court recently handed down a six-month prison sentence to a Mozambican national who was found guilty of fraud relating to illegal connections as well as electricity theft.
The prison sentence imposed on him was without the option of a fine.
Dileep John, head of Operation Khanyisa, the Eskom-led campaign that fights electricity and cable theft, said this should be a deterrent to others who commit the same offense.
“There remains a perception that nobody can be arrested for stealing electricity,” he said.
“‘The reality though, as this case shows, is that if you steal electricity, you will get caught and you could face a jail sentence.”
He said that although electricity theft is one of the most serious crimes in South Africa and that illegal electricity connections could result in death, it was under-reported.
John said more than 50 others have also been recently arrested by the campaign for similar offences and that 26 cases were currently on the court roll.
“We will continue to investigate, arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes, particularly the kingpins and syndicates,” said John.
He added that forms of electricity theft, which are all punishable by law, include illegal connections, meter tampering and bypassing, the buying and selling of illegal prepaid power vouchers through stolen or ghost credit dispensing units, infrastructure theft and non-payment.
THE STAR