The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) is inundated with complaints from residents who are receiving fines because the Mbombela Local Municipality (Nelspruit, Barberton, White River) has failed to replace faulty prepaid electricity meters that the Municipality itself bypassed.
The fines stem from the Municipality’s tariff policy, which treats any form of bypassing as tampering – even when the Municipality itself carried out the bypass.
Many of the prepaid meters originally installed were defective or did not function properly, so, residents were unable to purchase or load electricity.
The municipal Department of Energy then bypassed the meters to provide households with power, and promised that new meters would be installed shortly.
Some residents have had to use these bypassed meters for three years and have given up on reminding the Municipality to come and replace them.
Following a recent meter audit, these residents are being fined R19 000 for alleged meter tampering in addition to estimated consumption costs that could amount to as much as R90 000.
This is particularly problematic for both residents and the Municipality, as the amount of time that has passed makes it almost impossible to trace the relevant documentation.
The Freedom Front Plus identified cases where the same officials who originally bypassed the meters are now involved in imposing the fines.
The party wants to point out that the Municipality previously granted amnesty to residents who illegally bypassed their electricity meters. This makes it all the more unjust as law-abiding residents are now being punished for the Municipality’s bypassing of their meters. These double standards mean the administration is shifting its own mistakes onto ratepayers.
The party has sent an official letter to the Executive Mayor, Ms Sibongile Makushe-Mazibuko, seeking clarity on the enforcement of the Municipality’s Electricity Supply By-laws and Tariff Policy (2025/26).
The Freedom Front Plus demands answers to prevent further injustice and will, meanwhile, keep assisting residents with their billing problems.
FF+ Manifesto on Small business support: Supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
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