Loophole in legislation makes it too easy for electricity thieves

Eskom's acting CEO and chairperson, Mpho Makwana, believes there is a shortcoming in South Africa's current legislation with regard to electricity theft, after Eskom's unsuccessful prosecution of electricity thieves in 2009.

This shortcoming creates a loophole which makes it impossible to find people guilty of such piracy. Kannan Lakmeeharan, MD for system planning and management at Eskom, explained that current legislation provided only for finding people guilty of vandalism to infrastructure or cable theft. This charge was not stiff enough as in most cases these electricity thieves only receive a fine and a few weeks in prison before returning to the street.