…wants further electricity hikes to recoup losses
Mohloai Mpesi
THE Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) is anticipating another increase in electricity prices to recoup losses caused by the rampant vandalism and theft of electricity cables across the country.
Widespread pilfering of electricity infrastructure is severely impacting the utility’s financial standing, forcing it to consider a price adjustment to recoup losses.
LEC Stakeholder Relations Manager, Makhetha Motšoari, told the Sunday Express on Friday that the company projects another tariff hike in the next financial year, as continued vandalism continues to drain its resources.
He revealed that LEC had suffered financial losses amounting to M10 million from April 2024 to March 2025, primarily due to stolen cables which he said needed to be replaced.
“LEC property is being vandalised throughout the country. Cables are stolen by criminals, and we suspect they are sold to scrapyards,” Advocate Motšoari said.
“Between April last year and March this year, we lost M10 million solely due to stolen electricity cables, and we have to replace them. That figure only accounts for the replacement cost; there are other expenses incurred in restoring damaged infrastructure.”
He also said the ongoing thefts not only affected LEC’s finances but also hampered its ability to deliver other essential services, such as improving network connectivity.
“This persistent theft of LEC equipment negatively affects the company’s finances and compromises our capacity to enhance services like connectivity across the country.”
Adv Motšoari said efforts to raise public awareness through community gatherings and engagements with scrapyard owners had failed to yield results.
“We held community meetings to educate the public and engage scrapyard owners, but there has been no change despite all our efforts.”
According to Adv Motšoari, the cable thefts were perpetrated by individuals with electrical knowledge as they begin by switching off power at pillar boxes, resulting in blackouts, before proceeding with their thefts.
“Often, when there’s a power cut, the public blames LEC, accusing us of incompetence. But in many cases, the blackout is caused by thieves who disconnect power in order to steal cables.”
“These crimes are committed by people with electrical expertise who know how to operate the infrastructure. This is one of the key reasons LEC is compelled to increase electricity tariffs, not out of choice, but because we have to recover the M10 million in losses.”
Adv Motšoari warned that, based on the current rate of thefts, the company could surpass last year’s losses by a large margin, necessitating an even greater price increase.
He urged communities to be vigilant and report suspicious activity near transformers immediately following power cuts.
“We ask members of the public to check nearby transformers whenever there is a blackout, as that is often when the thefts occur.”