I find myself a victim of the current municipal and governmental incompetence; let me explain.
Due to the Post Office strike currently on the go my mail, like that of many other residents, has been piling up on the post office floor for the past two months.
Somewhere in the enormous pile are my last two electricity accounts. So, in the absence of these accounts and, being a reasonable citizen, I decided the right thing to do was to pay the same amount to Ekurhuleni as my previous payment.
I know that I could have called them and got the exact amount owing if I had the time and patience to hang on the phone for an hour.
Anyway, this assumed amount was obviously not enough, possibly due to another increase, as the lovely fellows of the municipality cut my supply — which I think is very unfriendly of them.
Firstly, in my own business it is my responsibility to make sure that my invoices get to my customers by whatever means possible, to ensure that I get paid, so why is it not the same for the municipality?
Are they special, do they have their own set of rules that apply to them?
I believe they think so?
Secondly, what happened to the notice they are supposed to give one?
I found the published by-laws on the Internet, entitled “Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality Electricity by-laws (Council resolution MI195/2001 dated November 29, 2001 and CL 71/2002 dated March 26, 2002).’’
Paragraph 12(1), “Disconnection of supply’’, states the following:
“The council shall have the right to disconnect the supply to any premises if the person liable to pay for such supply fails to pay any charge due to the council in connection with any supply which he may at any time have received from the council in respect of such premises, or, where any of the provisions of these by-laws and/or the regulations are being contravened, after notice has been given to the occupier. After such disconnection, the fee as prescribed by the council shall be paid before reconnection’’
It seems to me that not only are the Ekurhuleni municipality in contravention of their own by-laws, but they are very unreasonable to expect that the consumer should be banging on their door to make payments.
This sort of behaviour does not foster good relations and, at a time like this in the country, our government and local government should be doing all they can to improve relationships and their own image.
I know, next month I’ll send them a cheque in the post.
