Pre-paid resident’s electricity wrongly disconnected
A Freeway Park resident is up in arms after he had to go without electricity for a whole weekend due to the illegal disconnection by the Ekurhuleni metro contractors.
Johan Naude noticed that the electricity had been cut on July 11, at about 12.45pm.
According to Naude, he immediately contacted the call centre, seeing that he makes use of a pre-paid electricity meter and still had enough units for the whole of July.
His property tax and water and refuse removal accounts were also paid in full.
Apparently the electricity would have been reconnected within the next four hours. At 4pm the electricity had not been restored.
Naude contacted the call centre and was told that there is one hour left and that the electrician will still be coming.
About 30 minutes later, he phoned the call centre again and was once again assured that the electricians will come, as they work until 9pm.
“After explaining my situation, she (an unknown supervisor from the call centre) eventually told me that the call centre does not arrange for reconnection and that I must phone the accounts department.
“I told her that their offices are already closed and she replied that the accounts offices will be open the next day (Saturday, July 12) from 9am until noon.
“Needles to say, the offices were closed when I got there on Saturday and the security guards on duty then also told me that the offices are closed on Saturdays.”
Naude allegedly spoke telephonically to another unknown supervisor from the call centre on Saturday, who told him that the call centre gave him the wrong information and that she cannot accept responsibility for the people who were working on Friday.
The electricity was eventually restored on Monday, July 14, at 10.50am.
“First of all, I wasted four hours on Friday, because the call centre did not give me the correct information.
“Secondly, we had to do without electricity from Friday until Monday when it was reconnected after I supplied the proof of payment at the accounts desk.”
Naude also had to take time off from work on Monday in order to provide his property tax and water and refuse account to the accounts department.
Ekurhuleni metro spokesperson, Themba Gadebe, has confirmed that Naude is a pre-payment electricity vendor and both his accounts are up to date and paid diligently on or before the applicable due dates.
He also confirms that the disconnection of the services of Naude should not have been issued.
“It is unknown why the electricity supply of this client was disconnected. The applicable disconnection contractor was consulted and he has also apologised for this unfortunate event. The electricity supply has since been reconnected.
“It is never the intention of the metro to disconnect the service supplies of law-abiding citizens, whose accounts are paid up to date. This matter is deeply regretted. Council officials have also met with this client since the incident and apologised to him,” says Gadebe.
Naude was also concerned about the easy access to the electricity box in Huckleberry Road.
“Anyone can gain access to it, because the box isn’t locked. There are open wires that are live and if someone touches it, they can be shocked to death.”
According to Gadebe, the box has now been locked. – @IschkeBoksburg
I Had exactly the same problem, out power was out for a week and I lots all the things in my freezer etc. I tried to lodge a complaint and claim but was sent from pillar to post. SO over the inadequate, pathetic service we get with no recourse for their actions