Byline:Nonjabuliso Nhlambo
25 July 2025
A group of residents from ward 32 in Embalenhle barged into the GMM technical services site on Wednesday, 24 July 2024 and demanded answers on electricity smart meters that are currently installed in their ward.
The electricity smart meters project was initiated last year by the municipality as a way of eliminating illegal connections and ensuring that the municipality is able to collect revenue from customers.
According to the residents, they are forced to accept smart meters, of which they do not want.
They further alleged that some of the municipal employees are using the smart meter projects for their own personal gains.
“They want to force us to install smart meters, which means we do not have the right to say we do not want these things.
We have been communicating that these smart meters are not SABS approved; they force us to accept them, which is why they want to come with law enforcement when they come to our houses.
As we speak, we haven’t had electricity for the past 8 days.Another thing is that GMM employees are also deploying councillors relatives to work in this project so that they work with them in the installation of these meters,” said EFF Cllr Thabiso Mofokeng who was amongst the complainants.
Mofokeng also alleged that some of the GMM employees who are said to be involved in the installation of smart meters appeared at the Section 106 forensic report but were not arrested, hence they continue with doing wrong things.
Further, the residents said they’d be writing to the consumer protection commissioner about the abuse they endure from the municipality.
After the commotion, both GMM law enforcers and residents went to Embalenhle Police Station and opened cases against each other.