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Eskom warns illegal electricity buyers as ghost vendor nabbed

Cape Town - Eskom has called on South Africans to refuse to buy illegal electricity vouchers after a Johannesburg man was nabbed with almost 600 prepaid vouchers.

The suspect was busted in a joint operation by the South African Police Service (SAPS) and Hawks  and 598 illegal prepaid vouchers and R8 500 in cash were found at the suspect's residence.

“The buying and selling of illegal prepaid electricity vouchers is a crime that has taken root in many parts of the country,” said Dileep John, Eskom’s head of Operation Khanyisa, the national campaign aimed at fighting electricity theft.

He said that people might think that selling of illegal prepaid electricity vouchers, which is also known as ghost vending, is a victimless crime, only affecting Eskom, but it is not the case.

"The loss of revenue suffered by Eskom due to this crime contributes to the need for the national power utility to increase the tariffs charged to paying customers. The price for ghost vending is, therefore, paid by society as a whole,” John explained.

“[I]t is important that everyone helps kill the market for ghost vendors by refusing to buy illegal electricity vouchers and reporting suspected ghost vendors to Operation Khanyisa".

People can send anonymous tip-offs via SMS to 32211.

The arrest in Kagiso township took place while another major case involving ghost vending was underway at the Palm Ridge Regional Court, also in Johannesburg.

The four accused now face a lengthy prison sentence after they were found guilty on over 16 000 counts related to electricity theft. Sentencing in this case commences on 13 February.

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