Pretoria: Seven employees of Emfuleni Local Municipality appeared in the Vanderbijlpark Magistrates' Court facing charges of fraud, theft amounting to R150,000, money laundering, and tampering with essential infrastructure. Their court appearance comes after arrests made over the weekend.

According to South African Government News Agency, the accused allegedly targeted businesses and individuals whose electricity had been disconnected due to unpaid bills. Over a span of about two years, they approached these customers offering to illegally reconnect their electricity in exchange for payment. Once payment was received, the accused would allegedly reconnect the electricity unlawfully and adjust account records to show a reduced outstanding amount.

However, despite the illegal reconnections, subsequent electricity bills reflected the original amounts owed before the accused intervened. The electricity services remained connected, leading the impacted individuals to report the irregularities to the municipality. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has stated that the case highlights their commitment to tackling corruption, fraud, and crimes that jeopardize essential public infrastructure and service delivery.

The case has been postponed to 31 August 2026 for bail applications, with all suspects remaining in custody. The NPA emphasized the importance of prosecuting such offences, which erode public trust and harm communities relying on municipal services, and affirmed their continued collaboration with law enforcement to hold perpetrators accountable.