Johannesburg electricity utility City Power has condemned alleged intimidation and false accusations directed at technicians during disconnection operations in Turffontein.
The utility said it is aware of a video circulating online in which a group of people are seen filming and accusing a City Power official of demanding money in exchange for not disconnecting the electricity supply.
The City Power team was conducting meter audits and disconnecting illegal bypasses in Turffontein at the time.
City Power denounces intimidation of technicians
“The records confirm that several customers in that street had bypassed their meters and were not buying electricity, and that’s why we view this conduct as an attempt to interfere with our work and instigate violence against the technicians,” spokesperson Isaac Mangena said.
Mangena, however, admitted that there have been instances where dishonest City Power employees or contractors have taken advantage of their positions to demand bribes.
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He said the utility has consistently taken strong action against such workers, including laying criminal charges and instituting dismissals where wrongdoing is proven.
“We continue to appeal to customers not to pay money to technicians or contractors and to report any soliciting to the police or City Power Risk and Security Unit,” Mangena said.
‘Unacceptable and borders on intimidation’
Despite this, the power utility said the behaviour displayed in the video is unacceptable and borders on intimidation.
“Publicly confronting, harassing, lying, and humiliating technicians who are performing lawful duties does not help to root out corruption; instead, it places innocent workers at significant risk and undermines service delivery,” the utility said.
City Power said allegations of bribery or misconduct can be reported and investigated through legitimate channels.
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The power utility has urged the public to use these channels rather than resorting to confrontational behaviour that could escalate tensions and endanger lives.
It also called on law enforcement authorities to look into such conduct, as it interferes with City Power’s operational work and threatens the safety of employees.
Operations will continue in Turffontein
“We will also continue with planned enforcement operations in the Turffontein area and other hotspots across the city to ensure electricity theft and bypassing meters are dealt with,” City Power said.
“We call on communities to call out this behaviour and for community leaders to address this before it escalates into a crisis.”
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