Johannesburg – Two Chinese nationals have been arrested for illegally connecting to the city’s electricity services, after being disconnected earlier in the week due to outstanding fees.

Johannesburg executive mayor, Herman Mashaba said the suspects own a business in Fordsburg, which was targeted as part of the City’s #BuyaMthetho campaign, due to an outstanding electrical account of around R500 000. 

Operation #BuyaMthetho (Bring back the law) is a new multi-departmental operation launched on Monday, aimed at enforcing by-laws and bringing the rule of law to the City of Johannesburg. 

“During that operation, power supply to their property was cut off by City Power employees.  It is clear that these businessmen work with officials who supplied them with a new meter and reconnected power supply to their property illegally,” Mashaba said.

Mashaba said he had instructed the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) to monitor properties which were disconnected as part of Operation #BuyaMthetho, to ensure that services were not illegally reconnected at these properties.  

“If they are reconnected, the owners will be arrested immediately, as was the case with these two suspects,” he said. 

In a separate incident, the City’s Group Forensic and Investigation Service (GFIS) team, working together with the South African Police Service (SAPS), arrested a businessman in Fordsburg for attempting to bribe a City official to install four electricity prepaid meters valued at R8 000.