New task force ready to fight electricity theft
A municipality in Mpumalanga has established an Electrical Protection Unit (EPU) to fight the growing number of illegal connections and cable thefts.
The eMalahleni municipality is one of the country’s coal-mining hubs and a major hub for Eskom’s electricity production.
The area boasts the country’s largest concentration of power stations, serviced by the many coal mining operations surrounding it.
Its importance to South Africa’s energy production has recently been underscored by issues plaguing its electricity infrastructure.
The municipality has seen an alarming number of cases of electricity theft, with cables repeatedly stolen and illegal connections draining the area’s power supply.
Current estimates suggest that the area is losing nearly a quarter of the power it buys from Eskom to electricity theft.
This theft leaves the municipality in an uncomfortable situation, as it does not gain the revenue it needs to continue making bulk electricity purchases.
It happens through illegal connections, where criminals hijack the existing energy infrastructure by attaching their own makeshift cables.
This poses a threat to surrounding areas, as these illegal connections are often poorly done and can cause fires or destroy the existing energy infrastructure.
Theft also occurs through meter tampering, where residents bypass systems designed to monitor their households’ electricity usage.
Both of these issues have led to the eMalahleni municipality losing millions in potential electricity revenue.
Cable theft has also plagued the area, leaving areas with repeated power outages as the municipality repairs the damage.
It has been reported that these cable thefts often occur at the same locations, leading to repeated outages in some areas.
These issues have been plaguing the municipality’s already ageing electricity framework, which is approximately fifty years old.
Without adequate revenue from residents, the municipality struggles to afford the maintenance its infrastructure desperately needs.
The municipality is fighting back
To respond to the growing energy crisis, the municipality has established the new Electrical Protection Unit (EPU), a task force focused on minimising electricity losses.
The unit will focus on identifying illegal connections in the area and removing these dangers from the existing infrastructure.
The group will also monitor areas where cable theft is known to occur, reducing the number of outages which residents face.
The municipality has established the unit in the hopes of increasing its revenue from electricity tariffs.
With the increased revenue, the area will be able to comfortably afford its bulk electricity purchases from Eskom.
It will also provide the municipality with additional capital to upgrade its infrastructure in the future, a necessary step to improve service delivery.
eMalahleni’s newest initiative to prevent electricity theft has been welcomed by opposition parties, including the Democratic Alliance (DA).
DA eMalahleni councillor, Lizelle Steyn, said the formation of the EPU was an important step towards fixing the area’s power supply.
“A dedicated EPU will contribute to reducing electricity losses and improving infrastructure protection,” she said.
“Most importantly, it will help improve the reliability of electricity supply to residents.”
She also said the EPU’s formation demonstrated the municipality’s clear commitment to protecting public resources.
Electricity theft is not a localised challenge, with Eskom losing over R8 billion to non-technical losses in the 2026 financial year.
The losses were equivalent to roughly 8% of Eskom’s total power output during the year, making it one of the biggest threats to the national grid.
Eskom also has to spend billions to repair infrastructure that is damaged or destroyed by cable theft.
The power supplier spends between R5 billion and R7 billion every year replacing these lost cables and repairing the surrounding infrastructure.
Photos of electricity repairs in eMalahleni
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