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Elections 2026: Midlands municipality claws back millions in electricity revenue

uMngeni has installed nearly 1,900 smart meters to curb electricity losses

A view of Mpophomeni, uMngeni’s largest township; GroundUp reported on a protest in 2024 after municipal officials refused to replace a transformer unless they could do an electricity audit of the area. Photos: Joseph Bracken

UMngeni Local Municipality Mayor Christopher Pappas says a programme to install smart meters for electricity will generate about R900,000 additional revenue a month.
The municipality used to lose almost 60% of its electricity. Through various measures, the municipality is now expecting losses of about 27% in 2025/26.
Some Mpophomeni residents welcome efforts to curb illegal connections but some say they cannot afford electricity at current prices.

The uMngeni Local Municipality in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands has spent millions installing almost 2,000 electricity smart meters to combat…

Read More: Elections 2026: Midlands municipality claws back millions in electricity revenue.

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