Mohamed Ameen Dabhelia – 2016/03/23

The Congress of South African Trade Union are calling for a thorough investigation and stern action against all businesses, which are found to have tempered with their electricity connections to avoid paying large amounts on their electricity bills.

This comes after Eskom revealed through its annual audits that over 52% of all electricity bridging is done by businesses.

COSATU National Spokesperson Sizwe Pamla says that it is it is criminal for businesses to be retrenching people using electricity tariff hikes and the cost of running a business as an excuse, while they are also involved in electricity theft.

“For a long time, electricity theft is treated as an act of poor people and vandals, when its actually big business that is stealing from the poor. Their blatant and criminal acts severely impact on government’s ability to deliver electricity and other badly needed services”.

Pamla says they expect law enforcement agencies to make use of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act by imposing tougher sanctions and bail conditions on all vandals involved in this saga.

“We demand that all managers and executives of the implicated companies be detained and be forced to apply for bail in court like all criminals”.

He added that by stealing electricity, these companies have exposed the immorality and callousness of big business and proved that they will do anything including breaking the law to maximise their profits.

Twitter: @thedabhelia