DailySun
Johannesburg – City Power has revealed its intention to report a senior manager from its planning department to the police for creating a scheme to steal electricity.
This senior manager is the owner of rental accommodation units in the Hursthill area, consisting of around eight rooms.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena noted that the official, who was found to have tampered with an electricity meter, “will also undergo internal disciplinary action as we work to eliminate misconduct and any form of criminality within our organization.”
Mangena stressed: “This initiative is part of our continuous commitment to maintain the highest standards of integrity and accountability within our organization.”
Mangena detailed the events leading to the discovery of the misconduct on Thursday, (20 March 2025), explaining that the City Power Revenue Protection Unit engaged with the employee, “following our routine day-to-day auditing and monitoring” of customer purchasing behaviors.
He pointed out that the audits and monitoring unveiled a troubling pattern of irregular electricity purchases going back to 2014, including instances where electricity went unpaid for months.
“Recorded payments showed significant inconsistencies, ranging from R500 to several thousand rand, and notably, this month, no electricity was purchased at all despite the property being illuminated during our team’s visit,” Mangena reported.
City Power routinely conducts audits that include random home visits and system monitoring to identify accounts with irregular payment histories.
He added that the City Power operation on Thursday was part of the Executive Mayor’s Rejuvenation programme, which began in the Inner City and is now expanding across Johannesburg.
Mangena acknowledged that tampering with meters to avoid electricity payment is a widespread issue among rental property owners.
“We will intensify our efforts to combat this type of electricity theft,” Mangena cautioned.
Concerning the senior manager, Mangena mentioned that he not only faces internal ramifications and possible criminal charges but will also be subject to a substantial reconnection fee.
“This incident follows a recent investigation in which 15 employees received notices of disciplinary action for colluding with service providers to defraud City Power, resulting in significant financial losses,” Mangena disclosed.
He stated that the involved service providers are under investigation, and their payments have been suspended pending the conclusion of the ongoing review.
“One of the employees linked to the fraud is currently facing criminal charges,” Mangena noted.
“In line with our commitment to improving governance and reinforcing internal controls, as recommended by the AG and our internal investigations, we are intensifying our actions against ethical breaches and any form of criminality, starting from within our ranks.”
In response to the situation, City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava commented: “We are taking a renewed and vigorous stance against electricity theft, which has had a significant financial impact over the past year.”
“Municipal staff, including employees and councillors, must comply with the same standards that we expect from our customers.”
“Charity begins at home – thus, we will prioritize municipal employees as the starting point in our efforts to restore integrity and trust within our operations.”
Mashava warned City of Johannesburg employees that any instance of meter tampering or bypassing will result in severe consequences.
“We are currently evaluating the total financial losses incurred, which could amount to tens or even hundreds of thousands of rands,” Mashava indicated.
“City Power is unwavering in its commitment to fight all forms of criminal activity and to lessen financial losses, thus restoring the organization’s financial stability – to enhance the overall services we provide to our customers.”
“We also encourage customers to continue paying for their electricity consumption and to avoid engaging in electricity theft.”
“We will continue implementing measures that strengthen our governance and internal controls to safeguard the interests of our community and the integrity of our services.”
