A R3.2m electricity infrastructure upgrade in Alexandra has been derailed after City Power discovered that all 384 newly installed prepaid meters were tampered with just months after being commissioned.
The prepaid electricity meters, along with pillar boxes, were installed along 11th Avenue in October 2025 as part of a broader infrastructure upgrade and revenue protection programme. The project was aimed at normalising electricity supply in the area after years of illegal connections that had severely strained the network.
The tampering underlines the utilitys struggle with rampant electricity theft, which robs it of revenue while putting excessive pressure on an already overloaded grid in some areas.
