“Theft in Witpoortjie is becoming a serious problem and becoming a deadly risk to our families.”
These are the words of Ellen Nkwinika, who realised that not even her prepaid electricity meter was safe after it was stolen. “I was inside the house busy doing the laundry when the electricity went off suddenly. I went outside to investigate, and found that my prepaid meter had been stolen by two guys,” she said.
Also read: City Power responds to prepaid meter problems
According to Ellen, the two men were driving a white vehicle, either be an older model Ford or Mazda. “They were wearing City Power uniforms and pretended to be employees working on the meter. I was very scared that they would return during the night as they knew that the problem would not be attended to immediately,” she said.
Also read: Is it a real employee – or an imposter?
But, what should residents do in a case like this?
According to City Power Relationship Management, customers should do the following if their prepaid meters are stolen:
• The customer whose prepaid meter it is should report the incident to their nearest police station, and obtain a case number.
• The next step is to contact the City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ) call centre on 0860 562 874 and log a call for the stolen meter. A reference number will then be issued.
• The stolen meter will be blocked on the CoJ system and City Power technicians will go and install a new prepaid meter.
City Power urges customers to be alert and on the lookout for meter thieves. “When residents see a City Power technician or contractor seeking access to, or opening a meter box on their property, they should ask for the employee’s identification card. All employees should carry these cards when on duty so their credentials can be verified,” City Power said.
Should customers still feel unsure about the person’s identity, even after seeing the identification card, the credentials can be verified by calling City Power’s Risk and Control Department on 011 490 7900/ 7911/ 7553.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
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