Power utility Eskom vehemently refutes circulating social media reports suggesting compensation for reporting illicit electricity activities.
Dismissing such claims as baseless, Eskom labels them as 'fake news'.
The post, which the power utility flagged as ‘fake news’ reads: “Eskom will pay you R5,000 if you report a house that has bridged electricity. You can also report your parents and get that money.”
Eskom clarifies that it does not offer any compensation for reporting electricity infringements.
Instead, it urges vigilance among residents to report illegal activities without expectations of rewards.
Residents are encouraged to promptly notify Eskom or the South African Police Service (SAPS) upon identifying any tampering with the electrical infrastructure.
Moreover, Eskom condemns attempts to exploit individuals through blackmail or extortion linked to these criminal activities.
Emphasising the importance of verifying information before dissemination and condemning tampering, Eskom said in a statement: “Such unlawful acts cause outages, undermine Eskom in its mission to provide safe and reliable electricity, while depriving residents and businesses of electricity.
“We condemn such actions and urge the public to verify information before sharing it on any communication channel.”
To combat theft and vandalism effectively, members of the public are urged to report anonymously through the Eskom Crime Line (080-011-2722) or local police stations.
IOL News