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WEDNESDAY July 16, 2014 |0 041 503 6111 | Email express@media24.com | peexpress.mobi | www.peexpress.co.za
EDITOR: BETTIE GILIOMEE
Electricity syndicate targets suburbs
LIZEKA TANDWA
A
CAMPAIGN has been launched by the municipality to target a syndicate which is manipulating meter boxes and charging commission fees from both business and private consumers, costing the Municipality millions of rands in electricity revenues.
According to studies conducted by the Municipality’s newly-appointed service provider, Amat, who have been contracted to develop strategies that will curb electricity theft, there has been a loss of revenue in more of the metro’s suburbs than the townships because of this syndicate. They say the syndicate operates with corrupt municipal officials who have advanced techno-
logical equipment which can alter electricity meters in homes around the Metro. At a media launch on Friday, Amat spokesperson, Nceba Faku, said people living in affluent areas should not be fooled by these syndicates which deceive them into thinking that cross wires in townships make up the majority of cable theft and loss of revenue. “What people do not know is that some of these
officials whom you let into your home are tampering with your cables and you end up paying higher tariffs. Some people in affluent areas have not paid their electricity bill for years now because the municipality cannot access their meter due to tampering. Make no mistake, we will expose these criminals,” said Faku.
Continued on page 2
Junior chefs cook up a storm SPAR Eastern Cape’s Roseann Shadrach (left) and Wendy Westraadt (right) inspect SPAR Junior Chef Justin Nagan’s winning creations. The regional SPAR Junior Chef competition took place at The Pastryworks in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday. Temperatures heated up in The Pastryworks kitchen as the metro’s three masterchefsinthe making created a mouthwatering feast of imaginative dishes to impress the judges. The young chefs vied for the title of SPAR Junior Chef and prepared a signature dish with a personal twist to a mystery meal. Read more on page 6.
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