COGTA Investigates Eskom's Burden on Residents for Transformer Repairs Amid Illegal Connections"

The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs' portfolio committee is set to investigate claims that Eskom and some municipalities are forcing residents to bear the costs of replacing transformers that blow out due to illegal connections.

Committee Chairperson Marlaine Nair expressed outrage over the situation, labelling it "unacceptable" that community members are compelled to fork out funds for essential infrastructure needed to support electricity supply.

“The last time there was this challenge, the COGTA had to assist municipalities with purchasing transformers, and they had to pay the department for the assistance with the transformer costs,” Nair stated.

She was firm about those engaging in illegal connections and the repercussions they should face, but she did not believe it was acceptable for the entire community to shoulder the burden of costs. She deemed such actions unlawful.

“You can’t punish the entire community just because someone within the community broke the law,” she said, explaining the illegality of depriving a community of electricity due to the actions of others.

According to some residents in areas like Zondela in Ulundi and Umvoti, Eskom had demanded upfront payments of R115,000 from their communities to replace a damaged transformer.

Impoverished communities have had to contend with cost burdens amounting to approximately R6,000 per household in some instances for replacement transformers.

Joyce Zingoni, Eskom's KZN spokesperson, defended the utility’s stance. Zingoni stated that when transformers are damaged due to suspected tampering, audits are conducted to identify the culprits, who are then fined.

“Eskom conducts regular meter audits to identify and act against electricity theft because the troubling trend of meter tampering and vandalism in residential areas is increasing,” Zingoni said.

Regarding the financial strain of paying for transformers, Madondo Sokhela, an Umvoti resident, said: “Each household must pay R6,000 for us to buy a new transformer. The majority of people in our area have connected illegally to the transformer; hence it blew up, and now we are struggling again.”

Another Umvoti resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “It’s cruel by Eskom; we have elderly people who rely on grants for survival, and yet you expect them to pay R6,000 for a transformer.”

However, Zingoni refuted claims that communities were expected to fund transformer costs. “Community members who are found tampering with metering installations are issued with remedial fines, and illegal connections are removed or normalised,” she clarified.

Despite the challenges posed by their current system, Zingoni assured communities that Eskom is committed to resolving these issues in partnership with affected residents.

“Communities are urged to cooperate with Eskom teams on the ground by granting them access to the Eskom meters in their homes,” she concluded.

DAILY NEWS