By Anita Dangazele
- A Kariega mother who survives on a small income and child support grants says she bypasses electricity because legal power costs became impossible to afford.
- Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality lost more than R840-million from electricity theft and now plans a 9 percent tariff increase that could hit struggling families harder.
Michele lives in a small two room backyard shack in Kwalanga township in Kariega. She shares the cramped space with her two children.
Every month she must stretch a very small income.
Michele works as a car guard at a shopping centre.
The job helps her add a little money to her children’s support grant. But the amount she earns changes and is never enough.
She pays R600 rent for the shack. After that, she tries to buy food for the household.
By the time she finishes buying basics, there is almost no money left.
Michele also takes part time work washing clothes for people who need help. Some months she earns a bit more. Other months she earns almost nothing.
While her income changes, prices in the shops keep going up.
Electricity became another cost she could no longer manage.
Michele says the woman who owns the property is also unemployed. The landlady depends on the rent from the people living in the yard.
Behind the main house are two other backyard shacks. Several families live there.
At first, the households tried to pay for electricity together. Each family added R150 on top of their rent so the landlady could buy power.
But the electricity would run out before the month ended.
“We all live with our families and we all used to contribute R150 each on top of rent to buy electricity, but it became too expensive and electricity would always run out mid month. So we all agreed on bypassing the meter, this way we get to save that extra R150,” she said.
Electricity theft is a major problem in Nelson Mandela Bay.
The municipality’s mid year report for the 2025/2026 financial year says the city has lost more than R840-million because of illegal connections and meter tampering.
The problem could grow even bigger.
The municipality has proposed a 9 percent electricity price increase for the 2026/2027 financial year. The proposed tariff increase will affect both households and businesses.
For families like Michele’s, even the current cost of electricity is already out of reach.
Pictured above: Electricity meter box.
Image source: Supplied
