Mankayane, Eswatini — The Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC), working alongside the Royal Eswatini Police Service and other stakeholders, has intensified crime prevention campaigns in Mankayane and Gege, with a focus on protecting communities during the festive season.
According to EEC, the outreach programmes centred on raising awareness about crimes that tend to increase at this time of year, particularly scams and copper theft. The company said copper theft remains a growing concern due to its damaging impact on electricity supply, service delivery, and public safety.
Speaking during the engagements, EEC Security Officer Felix Mabuza warned residents to remain vigilant against criminals impersonating EEC employees and demanding payments over the phone. He emphasised that EEC does not request payments via phone calls or text messages related to electricity faults or reconnections.
Mabuza said such scams not only defraud customers but also undermine trust and place communities at risk when electricity infrastructure is tampered with or vandalised.
EEC Marketing Officer Kenneth Zwane also engaged directly with community members, highlighting the importance of reporting power outages and electrical hazards. He said early reporting helps prevent accidents and ensures quicker response times.
The campaign further focused on electrical safety education, particularly among children, and warned against dangerous practices such as the use of barbed wire to support roofing. EEC cautioned that such practices can conduct electricity and may result in serious injuries or fatalities if contact is made with live power lines.
EEC urged the public to stay alert, report suspicious activities, and work with authorities to protect electricity infrastructure and community safety.
The campaigns form part of EEC’s broader commitment to safeguarding customers and ensuring a stable power supply, especially during periods of increased activity and travel.
