Enoch Mgijima cracks down on illegal electricity connections in Ezibeleni

The Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality says it has intensified operations against illegal electricity connections and meter tampering in Ezibeleni after the municipality’s smart meter system detected irregular activity over several days.

According to statements issued by the municipality between 4 and 6 May 2026, municipal teams were deployed to investigate suspected tampering linked to the smart meter network. The operations resulted in several customers being disconnected, with electrical infrastructure allegedly used for illegal connections confiscated on site.

In a statement issued on 4 May, the municipality said teams had been dispatched to Ezibeleni after “tampers detected on the Smart Meter system” triggered investigations.

“The team is on site and a number of customers have been disconnected and all infrastructure elements removed. Tamper fees will apply to all,” the municipality stated.

The municipality repeated the same warning on 5 May as operations continued in the area.

On Tuesday, 6 May, the municipality said more illegal connections had been uncovered during ongoing inspections.

“Electrical Infrastructure has been confiscated and offending customers are now facing fines,” the municipality said.

The municipality further claimed that the smart meter system had, over the past two days, reported “irregular smart meter activity” linked to people allegedly attempting to “correct their tampers”.

Municipal officials indicated that further investigations and inspections would continue in the coming days.

Illegal electricity connections and meter tampering remain a major challenge for municipalities across South Africa, often contributing to revenue losses, overloaded infrastructure, transformer failures and power outages affecting entire communities.

The municipality has not yet disclosed how many households or customers have been affected by the disconnections, nor the total value of fines issued so far.

Residents found guilty of illegal connections or tampering with municipal infrastructure can face penalties, disconnection costs and possible criminal charges under municipal bylaws and applicable legislation.