Seven Emfuleni Local Municipality employees are expected to appear in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrates’ Court on Monday morning following a weekend arrest operation targeting an alleged illegal electricity reconnection scheme.
The suspects, attached to the municipality’s Revenue and Electrical departments, face allegations of fraud, theft and tampering with essential infrastructure.
Five of the employees were arrested during a takedown operation in Vanderbijlpark on Friday, while two more suspects were arrested over the weekend as investigators continued pursuing those allegedly involved in the scheme.
According to police, preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects allegedly presented themselves to municipal customers as authorised officials who could restore electricity supplies that had been disconnected.
Clients were allegedly instructed to pay various amounts directly into the suspects’ bank accounts in exchange for having their electricity reconnected.
Police further allege that the employees then unlawfully reconnected electricity supplies without the municipality’s authorisation.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the alleged conduct resulted in illegal electricity use and financial losses for the cash-strapped municipality.
The arrests were carried out by the Gauteng Political Killings Task Team, which has increasingly been involved in investigations targeting alleged criminal activity and corruption linked to public officials.
The seven suspects are expected to make their first appearance before the Vanderbijlpark court, where they are expected to be formally charged. The investigation remains ongoing, and police have indicated that more arrests could follow.
The case adds to a growing list of investigations involving Emfuleni Municipality, which has faced persistent allegations of maladministration, corruption and financial mismanagement.
Last month, former Emfuleni fleet manager Lerato Mmpholo appeared in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrates’ Court over an alleged R16 million tender fraud involving the procurement of municipal vehicles.
Police allege that the municipality paid about R16 million for 18 vehicles, including trucks and bakkies, but only seven were delivered despite the payment allegedly having been made in full. Mmpholo faces charges of fraud and corruption.
Emfuleni has also been under severe financial pressure, including its long-running debt problems with Eskom, while residents have repeatedly raised concerns over electricity supply, illegal connections and the municipality’s ability to maintain essential services.
The latest arrests place the municipality’s electricity operations under renewed scrutiny, particularly over allegations that officials entrusted with revenue collection and electrical services may have exploited residents whose power had been disconnected.
Police said the Gauteng PKTT would continue working with relevant stakeholders to ensure that officials who abuse their positions for personal financial gain are held accountable.
With the investigation still under way, Monday’s court appearance is expected to provide the first formal indication of the charges the state intends pursuing against the municipal employees.
