Cape Town - Teams from Johannesburg City Power continued to disconnect electricity to residents and businesses with outstanding utility bills in Midrand on Monday.
Some of the places disconnected included the Silver Stream residential complex, which owed over R9m and a car dealership in Randjespark which owed over R4m.
Joburg City Power condemned unscrupulous landlords whose actions have left paying tenants across Midrand in the dark.
City Power spokesperson, Isaac Mangena, said several businesses, mainly residential complexes around Midrand that have failed to settle a combined electricity bill of R37m were disconnected on Monday.
“This is part of City Power's rigorous, thorough and ongoing revenue collection drive implemented across the City. More than R340m is owed by businesses and individuals in Midrand.”
He said areas that were disconnected as part of the operation included:
- Silver Stream residential complex in Halfway Gardens was the first to get cut-off for owing more than R9m.
- Car dealership in Randjespark has a bill of R4.9m which it had failed to pay.
- Thirty First Investment in Allendale owes R4.2m.
- Telkom Site in Halfway House owes R2.4m.
- Ille de Capri residential complex in Vorna Valley owes R2.4m
- Cedar Roc residential complex in Vorna Valley owes R2.1m.
- Halfway Gardens Res Trust Palisades owes R1.8m.
- Kyalami Business Park owes R1.5m.
Mangena added that City Power is beginning to realise gains made from running these operations with close to R4billion already collected across the City since October.
The entity is still owed about R7.9bn by customers across the city.
“We encourage customers who are in arrears or know they have defaulted to approach our Service Delivery Centres across all regions so that arrangements can be made as we regard these operations as the last resort,” Mangena added.
#MidrandCutOff #JoburgUpdates #RegionA
— @CityPowerJhb (@CityPowerJhb) February 13, 2023
And just like that, Franklin on 8th is out. They owed City Power R1.1m. pic.twitter.com/i34NSOPLVa
MidrandCutOff #JoburgUpdates #RegionA #CityPowerUpdate
— @CityPowerJhb (@CityPowerJhb) February 13, 2023
Running through Midrand streets with these woes, collecting money you know it goes. Complex in Vorna Valley owes us R2.4m. pic.twitter.com/WhfdSOUNOy
#MidrandcutOff #Midrand
City Power team is currently in Halfway Gardens and we will be disconnecting Silver Stream Estate - they are owing City Power R9 million. ^TM pic.twitter.com/XATSu1QZ9n
#MidrandCutOff #RegionA #joburgUpdates
— @CityPowerJhb (@CityPowerJhb) February 13, 2023
Next, we have Cedar Roc Body Copporate in Vorna Valley. They owe City Power R2.9 Billion. pic.twitter.com/Xof6mfeBzq
#OutageUpdate #CityPowerUpdate #RegionA
— @CityPowerJhb (@CityPowerJhb) February 13, 2023
City Power Midrand SDC General Manager Katlego Mogale- Makoni and City Power Spokesperson Isaac Mangena reporting Live on the #MidrandCutOff revenue collection operation pic.twitter.com/pzwEwbUJh2
Twitter users said: “I honestly cannot understand how such a high bill can be racked up. That is a housing estate, where surely all houses have a meter. If it is the body corporate that owes the money, then you can only turn off common property or am I smoking my socks“ - @antoinedlmsa.
I honestly cannot understand how such a high bill can be racked up. That is a housing estate, where surely all houses have a meter. If it is the Body Corporate that owes the money, then you can only turn off common property
Or am I smoking my socks
“If we as business owners refused to help our paying clients for days on end as we're busy attending to non paying clients, then we would all be sitting on the sidewalk waiting for our grants. If this is the direction management is steering @CityPowerJhb in, 2023 is gonna be dark,“ - @dorfinatorx said.
If we as business owners refused to help our paying clients for days on end as we're busy attending to non paying clients, then we would all be sitting on the sidewalk waiting for our grants. If this is the direction management is steering @CityPowerJhb in, 2023 is gonna be DARK
— Dorfinatorx (@dorfinatorx) February 13, 2023
“Alright but what about the repairs you need to do and the fact that block 11 has been out for 4 hours and other places its closer to 20 of not more?,” - @Disgruntledci11 said.
Alright but what about the repairs you need to do and the fact that block 11 has been out for 4 hours and other places its closer to 20 of not more?
— Disgruntled citizen (@Disgruntledci11) February 13, 2023
IOL