Karasburg councillors probed over ‘stolen’ electricity

TWO Karasburg Town Council officials are under police investigation for allegedly defrauding the local authority of more than N$1.5 million through long-term electricity theft. A report on the theft, compiled by town council technical manager Derek Basson, says a councillor serving on the management committee more than five years ago asked for the voluntary disconnection of electricity to his business premises. Basson says despite the disconnection, evidence obtained during an investigation revealed that electricity consumption continued at the same premises through allegedly tampering with the electricity meter and unlawfully obtaining electricity from the town council.

“These individuals have since become local authority councillors at the Karaburg Town Council, claiming to stop corruption at the institution but they have made themselves guilty of illegal electricity usage at their business premises,” the report says. Basson says this has led to a loss of about N$1 million for the council. The second councillor has allegedly been consuming electricity without payment since 2023 as the electricity boxes were discontinued and taken off the reading list, the report states.