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Johannesburg - South Africa needs tougher laws on electricity theft to curb a practice that costs the country R4.4bn a year in lost revenue, industry officials said on Tuesday.
Officials have said the country would face power shortages from 2011 to 2016 unless measures are taken to generate more power, but electricity theft also remains a major concern.
"Government is in the process of reviewing legislation to enable law enforcers to prosecute (those stealing electricity)," Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan said at the launch of a national campaign against electricity theft on Tuesday.
Eskom CEO Brian Dames said current laws did not treat theft of electricity as a serious crime and offenders only faced minor penalties.
"We need to strengthen the legislative environment... we have not been able to prosecute people for theft of electricity," Dames said.
Dames said electricity theft affects the stability of the national grid and could contribute to rising tariffs.
Eskom, which supplies 95% of the country's power and 45% of Africa's electricity, is on a massive capacity building programme to boost electricity generation and avoid a repeat of the 2008 power crisis which shut down mines and other industries.
At the launch of the project, President Jacob Zuma urged all South Africans to fight electricity theft and promote legal connections.
"We urge all South Africans to support this important campaign and fight the criminal behaviour of those who continue with illegal connections, and those who consume electricity illegally," he said in a statement issued by the presidency.
He said electricity theft affected everyone.
"In the long term, it is detrimental to our economy and can contribute to job losses at a time when we must protect every job in our country.
"The power is in the hands of each and every citizen and resident of this country. Let us respect the laws of the land and together, build a movement for legal power use," said Zuma.
Officials have said the country would face power shortages from 2011 to 2016 unless measures are taken to generate more power, but electricity theft also remains a major concern.
"Government is in the process of reviewing legislation to enable law enforcers to prosecute (those stealing electricity)," Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan said at the launch of a national campaign against electricity theft on Tuesday.
Eskom CEO Brian Dames said current laws did not treat theft of electricity as a serious crime and offenders only faced minor penalties.
"We need to strengthen the legislative environment... we have not been able to prosecute people for theft of electricity," Dames said.
Dames said electricity theft affects the stability of the national grid and could contribute to rising tariffs.
Eskom, which supplies 95% of the country's power and 45% of Africa's electricity, is on a massive capacity building programme to boost electricity generation and avoid a repeat of the 2008 power crisis which shut down mines and other industries.
At the launch of the project, President Jacob Zuma urged all South Africans to fight electricity theft and promote legal connections.
"We urge all South Africans to support this important campaign and fight the criminal behaviour of those who continue with illegal connections, and those who consume electricity illegally," he said in a statement issued by the presidency.
He said electricity theft affected everyone.
"In the long term, it is detrimental to our economy and can contribute to job losses at a time when we must protect every job in our country.
"The power is in the hands of each and every citizen and resident of this country. Let us respect the laws of the land and together, build a movement for legal power use," said Zuma.
