The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) submitted a motion regarding malfunctioning BXC smart meters in the Emfuleni Local Municipality (Evaton, Sebokeng, Vaal Oewer, Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging), which will be tabled to the Council on 27 November.
BXC is a national company that supplies smart meters to various municipalities.
The party has received numerous complaints from residents who did not receive the correct number of electricity units for the amount of money they spent.
In one case, a resident purchased R2 000 worth of electricity, but received only R1 000 worth of units. Upon inquiry, she was told she had an outstanding municipal account. Further investigation by the Freedom Front Plus revealed that her electricity bill was not in arrears.
The Municipality also does not follow a policy of deducting outstanding amounts from prepaid units.
It was eventually discovered that the resident’s meter settings were the same as those of the Setsoto Local Municipality (Clocolan, Ficksburg, Marquard, Senekal) and not those of Emfuleni.
The resident was told the meter would be replaced.
The Freedom Front Plus is not opposed to installing and using smart meters as long as any errors that may be detrimental to residents are eliminated.
In its motion, the Freedom Front Plus, among other things, enquires whether the installation of smart meters is audited, and requests that the contract between Emfuleni and BXC be disclosed to the Council.
Clarity should also be provided on how profit sharing takes place and when Eskom is paid.
The Freedom Front Plus will closely monitor the process to ensure that residents are not unfairly cheated when purchasing power.
Freedom Front Plus Youth Wing: The FF Plus has a youth wing called the FF Plus Youth.
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Fun South African Fact: Vilakazi Street in Soweto has been home to two Nobel Peace Prize winners. A tour through Soweto will always stop at Vilakazi Street to reveal a number of heritage sites of great importance to democratic South Africa. Both Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu lived here at some point in their lives. In 1984, Archbishop Desmond Tutu received the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition for his non-violent fight against the apartheid regime. Nine years later in 1993, Nelson Mandela shared the Nobel Peace Prize with then-president F.W. de Klerk as an award for their role in bringing about the peaceful end of apartheid. Nelson Mandela then went on to become South Africa’s first democratically elected president in 1994.