Johannesburg Water has distanced itself from a Hillbrow extortion arrest, confirming the suspect who posed as a municipal official is not an employee but was carrying an outdated contractor access card last used three years ago.

The suspect was handcuffed at a residential building on Mitchell Street on Monday during a coordinated sting operation led by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) with assistance from a community informer.

Investigations

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said preliminary investigations showed that the man demanded R5 000 and accepted R1 500 before officers moved in.

“During further preliminary checks, the suspect was found in possession of both a Johannesburg Water employee identification card and a City Power contractor access card, raising serious concerns about the possible abuse of municipal credentials and cross-entity access for fraudulent purposes.”

Not Joburg Water employee

While it was believed that the man was a Johannesburg Water employee, the utility said this was not the case and has clarified the matter.

“Following an internal investigation, Johannesburg Water can confirm that the individual arrested is not an employee of Johannesburg Water. Preliminary findings indicate that the suspect was in possession of an access card issued by a meter reading contractor that last provided services to Johannesburg Water approximately three years ago.”

Protecting residents

Johannesburg Water said it condemns any form of fraud, extortion, corruption, or misrepresentation of the entity.

“We remain committed to protecting residents from criminal activities carried out by individuals who falsely claim to represent the organisation. Residents are reminded that Johannesburg Water employees and authorised contractors are not permitted to solicit or accept cash payments for services.

“Any person requesting payment in exchange for municipal services should be reported immediately to the South African Police Service, Johannesburg Water, or the City of Johannesburg,” the utility said.

City Power on Tuesday confirmed that on average, about five suspects are arrested daily across Johannesburg in connection with infrastructure-related crimes, underscoring the scale of organised criminal activity targeting the city’s electricity network.