Reducing electricity theft

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It is a national behaviour change campaign whose core partners include Eskom, Business Against Crime, Business Unity South Africa, Primedia Crime Line, Proudly South African and the South African Local Government Association.

Draftfcb Social Marketing is one of the agencies that worked closely with Eskom in constructing and rolling out the campaign from the launch in October 2010 to date. The campaign targets all audiences and received a letter of support from President Jacob Zuma at its launch. In his letter, Zuma urged South Africans to support the campaign, saying that electricity theft represented a direct threat to South Africa's jobs and the economy.

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Behaviour change strategy

The campaign is informed by a behaviour change strategy that aims to mobilise all South Africans for legal, safe and efficient electricity use. Since the launch of the campaign 18 months ago, it has achieved nearly 4000 tip-offs of alleged electricity theft received via Primedia's Crime Line and Eskom's Crime Reporting Line. The campaign is also working closely with the SAPS's organised crime unit, the Hawks, to investigate syndicates involved in electricity theft in the pre-paid and agricultural sectors.

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Eskom's Maboe Maphaka said that partnerships are a key element to the success of the campaign. "We are extremely grateful for the recognition received and trust it will motivate all our partners and the South African public to continue to stand up against electricity theft.

"We are winning the war. Electricity theft saps the energy that drives our economy. Let's keep South Africa powerful," he concludes.

For more, go to www.operationkhanyisa.co.za.