Eskom raids illegal electricity farm

Eskom, the South African Police Service, City Power, and contracted security personnel have uncovered a large-scale illegal electricity operation on a farm in Leeupoort, Gauteng.

According to a statement from the power utility, the illegal operation is estimated to have cost Eskom over R6.6 million in lost electricity revenue.

“Intelligence investigations uncovered that stolen electrical equipment was being used to supply electricity illegally to nearby informal settlements in exchange for payment,” Eskom said.

“Over 600 informal households were illegally connected to electricity provided by the farmer.”

The joint operation raided three houses on the farm, which were heavily guarded, and recovered critical infrastructure, including two transformers and 150 meter boxes belonging to Eskom and City Power.

The farm owner, suspected of orchestrating the operation, was arrested and is being held at Fochville Police Station.

“The suspect was charged with tampering with essential infrastructure and malicious damage to property, including illegal redistribution and resale of electricity,” said Eskom.

The suspect is still in custody after appearing in court on Wednesday, 4 December 2024. He is scheduled to appear again on 11 December for his bail application hearing.

“Eskom has been investigating the case since 2018, with the property being disconnected multiple times. However, the farmer repeatedly reconnected the power supply,” said Eskom.

It added that the affected area has now been disconnected.

Eskom warned that South Africans found to be tampering with or damaging electrical infrastructure could face penalties of up to 30 years in jail under the Criminal Matters Amendment Act.

“Such activities disrupt essential services, pose serious safety risks, and undermine the sustainability of the electricity network,” added Eskom.

The state-owned power utility faces a massive problem with illegal connections and illegal electricity sales. Through the prepaid meter update project, it identified that there are roughly 1.7 million customers whose meters aren’t vending electricity.

This figure came down from 2.1 million through the project due to roughly 400,000 “zero buyers” coming forward.

For reference, “zero buyers” is the phrase Eskom uses to describe customers who don’t pay for electricity, effectively electricity thieves.

However, the 600-odd households that were illegally connected through the farm in Leeupoort likely aren’t included in these figures as they won’t be on Eskom’s database.