According to the municipality, it issued disconnection notices to all government departments and businesses with municipal accounts in arrears on 22 February. The notices warned that their services would be cut after 14 days if they did not pay.
On Tuesday, 15 March, the 14 days expired and the municipality started disconnecting services as promised. Merafong recovered a lot of money very quickly due to the discon- nections. Carletonville Hospital owes the municipality over R2,969,202.40 and failed to respond to the disconnection notice. The hospital now has 24 hours to settle the debt or con-clude a suitable payment arrangement. Merafong advised the facility to fuel its emergency generators to prevent interrupted services. The Carletonville police station owes the municipality over R63,419.97 for services and also failed to respond to the disconnection notice. According to the municipality, the police station will remain disconnected until it has paid the arrears or come to a suitable payment arrangement.
The Oberholzer Magistrates’ Court owed the municipality over R63,000 but paid R33,812.38. The services were immediately restored, with the commitment that it would settle the outstanding balance by Friday, 18 March.
Thuto-Kitso Secondary School in Kokosi was disconnected after owing the municipality R304,085.17 for services. The school paid R303,307.36 by midday on Tuesday and the municipality immediately restored the services.
Meanwhile, the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure (DID), responsible for the schools’ property rates, paid R649,893.02 on 1 March and made an additional payment of R999,887.06 on 11 March. DID has also arranged to settle a debt of R10 million for the schools’ property rates before the end of the financial year.
Another business, which provides a lease for the new council chambers, has also settled an outstanding balance of R104,828.92 on property rates. Numerous identified businesses operating from residential properties in Khutsong and Kokosi were disconnected on Tuesday.
The municipality will conduct further monitoring on Friday to verify if they are still off. If their debt is not settled or if payment arrangements are not concluded, the municiplity will take swift legal action against those who reconnect illegally. “The above information shows the council’s commitment to implementing the financial turnaround plan and debt control and collection policy. The disconnections programme continued on Wednesday for those with outstanding municipal accounts.
“The municipal revenue department is available to address all customer queries,” said the acting municipal manager, Mr Siyethemba Mdletshe.
