But Why was the Public Never Informed?
PIKETBERG:- A former municipal employee was convicted of fraud in January 2025 after irregular electricity transactions dating back six years yet residents say the case was never publicly disclosed.
A West Coast municipality has confirmed that a former employee was convicted and sentenced earlier this year for multiple counts of fraud, following irregular electricity transactions first uncovered internally in 2019.
The case involves Pieter Jacobus Adams, who was employed in the municipality’s electricity division at the time. According to official comment, the municipality detected “shortfalls in the electricity system” and “suspicious electricity transactions” linked to Adams. The matter was immediately reported to SAPS and later taken over by the Hawks.
After a lengthy investigation and legal process, the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court convicted and sentenced Adams on 28 January 2025. The municipality also confirmed that it laid a claim against Adams’s municipal retirement fund in an effort to recover losses.
Public kept in the dark for years
Despite the seriousness of the charges and the long timeline, stretching from 2019 to 2025, the matter was never communicated to residents. This has raised concerns among some community members, who question why a criminal case involving municipal finances was not shared with the public sooner.
It remains unclear:
- how much money was lost?
- how long the irregular transactions continued before being detected,
- whether internal controls have since been strengthened,
- and why the public disclosure only followed after media queries.
Residents have also raised concerns about escalating electricity unit costs in the region, questioning whether system weaknesses contributed to financial pressures.
Municipality responds
In a written statement, Bergrivier Municipality said:
“This case is not a recent matter, as it dates back to 2019. The Municipality, through its own internal controls, identified shortfalls in the electricity system and suspicious electricity transactions made by Mr Adams. We immediately reported the matter to SAPS and the Hawks for a thorough investigation.”
The municipality congratulated all authorities involved for their “excellent work” and confirmed that recovery efforts included a claim against Adams’s pension fund.
However, no figures regarding the losses were provided, and no details were given about system improvements or internal disciplinary action taken at the time.
Unanswered questions
While the conviction brings closure to the criminal case, the lack of public communication over six years has left many residents with unresolved questions about transparency and governance.
Attempts to obtain further detail on the total financial loss, the duration of the irregular activity, and measures implemented to prevent future fraud had not been answered at the time of publication.
