Thugs cut power, demand villagers pay

Criminal gangs posing as municipal employees are allegedly disconnecting villagers in the troubled Maluti-a-Phofung local municipality and demanding up to R8 000 to reconnect them. The alleged extortion is unfolding in a municipality long plagued by corruption, financial dysfunction and failing service delivery.

The Mail & Guardian visited several villages last week where the alleged electricity syndicates have reportedly been operating.

During a visit to Tseseng village in Phuthaditjhaba, residents described long-standing struggles with both water and electricity. The village lies a short walk from one of the country’s largest dams, Fika Patso Dam, yet many households go months without running water. Residents said they often relied on water tankers supplied by the municipality, as well as a borehole.

“Sometimes we go for up to three months without water,” said Mathapelo Mofokeng. “Sometimes they tell us the reason we don’t have water is because of electricity issues. They say the water is pumped using electricity, so when there is no electricity, we know there will be no water.”

Mofokeng said electricity poles and transformers were being stolen by individuals believed to be posing as municipal employees.

She said the alleged workers disconnected residents from the grid, claiming the residents had bypassed meters or failed to pay for electricity.

“Then they demand R8 000 to reconnect you. If you don’t have the money, you remain without electricity,” she said. “Sometimes they take electricity poles and transformers, leaving us without power for months — until you can pay the R8 000. Where are we supposed to get that kind of money? There are no jobs here; no one can afford R8 000.”

A resident of Makgolokweng village in Harrismith, who requested anonymity, described how the alleged municipal officials forced residents to pay R4 100 upfront as part of the R8 000 reconnection fee.

“We were connected and then they came and removed our electricity. The municipality came with a transformer, meters and poles. 

“They told us we must pay R8 000 but we could pay half and then monthly instalments of R1 000 until it was settled,” the resident said. 

A senior politician holding an executive position in the municipality told the M&G they were aware of a pattern of service providers demanding payment for work that had not been done. The politician also confirmed allegations that some senior officials were involved in selling transformers to communities and demanding R8 000 for reconnection. 

“They go to communities without electricity and demand R8 000 per household for connections,” the politician said. “Sometimes they submit claims to the municipality for work that was never done. If the municipality refuses to pay, they then say they will pay themselves. This is when they remove transformers and electricity poles from communities to frustrate service delivery and anger residents.”

The politician said that despite some progress in stamping out corruption, it remained entrenched, with certain senior managers and politicians benefiting from it.

Maluti-a-Phofung spokesperson Thabo Kessah said the municipality was aware of criminals posing as municipal officials and threatening to disconnect electricity in some townships. The trend had spread to villages.

“It cannot be municipal officials — it must be criminal elements,” Kessah said. “A week ago, we were alerted to a fraudulent letter circulating in Kestell, where someone provided Absa banking details and claimed businesses would be switched off if they did not pay a certain amount.”

He said the municipality had launched a campaign warning residents not to pay those individuals.

On the water crisis, Kessah said the municipality was aware of issues, particularly in villages that had ageing infrastructure. 

Kessah acknowledged that in spite progress in service delivery, challenges remained. 

Since the M&G’s visit in 2024, improvements could be seen but  also some potholes still had not been repaired, sewage continued to flow in certain areas and water and electricity issues persist.