Joburg property owner arrested over R5‚000 'bribe'

A man with a R900‚000 rates bill in Johannesburg was arrested for allegedly offering a R5‚000 bribe to a city official who discovered his electricity was illegally connected.

Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba said the 32-year-old man was arrested in Mayfair on Thursday.

“I have been informed that the suspect’s property owes the City R900‚000 for rates and services. When the team arrived at the said property‚ they found that the electricity was illegally connected. It is alleged that the suspect then offered the team leader R5‚000 in order for him not to disconnect the power supply‚” Mashaba said on Friday.

“A trap was then set up and the suspect was arrested after paying the R5‚000 bribe to the official.”

The city launched operation #BuyaMthetho last week under which technicians have on a daily basis disconnected the water and electricity supply to properties in arrears or illegally connected to services.

“Since the operation launched early last week we have already arrested seven people for illegally reconnecting services that were previously cut off. Instead of coming forward and making payment arrangements some residents approach our officials to illegally reconnect their services‚” said Mashaba.

“I have instructed the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) to monitor these properties and ensure that services are not illegally reconnected at these sites. If they are reconnected the owners will be arrested immediately.”

Operation #BuyaMthetho is described as a multi-departmental push‚ aimed at enforcing by-laws and bringing the rule of law to the City of Johannesburg.

The arrested man will spend the weekend behind bars at the Johannesburg Central Police Station. He will appear in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday.