Public Protector Rules Against City of Tshwane for Unfairly Replacing Resident’s Electricity Meter

The Public Protector has ruled against the City of Tshwane for unlawfully replacing a resident’s prepaid electricity meter without adequate notice or valid reasons, resulting in significant financial loss to an elderly pensioner.

The ruling followed a complaint lodged by 82-year-old Lodewikus Jacobus Wolmarans in March 2025, alleging that his prepaid electricity meter was replaced by City of Tshwane officials around February 28, 2024, without prior notice, consultation, or evidence of tampering. Wolmarans stated he was neither informed nor consulted before the change, which led to the loss of nearly 3,000 kilowatt-hours of prepaid electricity units valued at more than R10,000.

At the time of the meter replacement, Wolmarans had 710.5 kWh units remaining on the old meter and 2,213.4 kWh units in unused vouchers, all of which were lost when the meter was removed. The total value of the lost electricity was calculated at R10,117.52.

Wolmarans, who lives alone and often spends several weeks away visiting his daughter in Mossel Bay, returned home on February 28, 2024, to find his electricity immediately cut off. Despite reporting the issue promptly, power was not restored until March 2, 2024, during which time perishable goods including frozen meat, vegetables, and medicine were spoiled.

An Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) meeting was held in October 2025, where two City of Tshwane officials admitted they had no idea why the meter was replaced, as the job card did not provide reasons for the action. The officials undertook to investigate the matter further.

In her report published on March 31, 2026, Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka found that the City of Tshwane failed to follow basic principles of legal and procedurally fair administrative action. Despite multiple attempts to resolve the issue, the municipality had failed to provide a satisfactory response to Wolmarans’ complaint.

The Public Protector’s investigation team issued an ADR notice on September 11, 2025, to resolve the dispute through mediation, conciliation, or negotiation. The final ruling confirmed that the metro acted improperly and unfairly by removing and replacing the meter without following due process.

The decision has broader implications for ratepayers in the municipality, highlighting concerns about administrative accountability and procedural fairness in utility services provided by the City of Tshwane.