Mayor apologises for disconnecting power at disadvantaged schools
Mayor Gumede said poor schools should not suffer by having the electricity and water disconnected.
ELECTRICITY has been restored at all schools that had its services disconnected due to non-payment.
Speaking at the City’s Executive Committee meeting on Tuesday, 13 February, eThekwini Mayor Gumede apologised to schools including the 30 that were disconnected.
“As the Mayor I was not aware of schools being disconnected. Even the Deputy City Manager of Treasury Krish Kumar wasn’t aware of this. We had a meeting with affected schools to better understand what the issues are and we are dealing with the matter,” she said.
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Mayor Gumede said relevant officials have been tasked to deal with the matter as it cannot be business as usual with these schools.
“Krish will deal with the matter and report to me as the Mayor. I want to repeat what I have said previously about the disconnection process, proper protocols need to be followed if people don’t pay for services. As the chair of the Finance Committee I need to know when decisions, especially major decisions like this, are taken by officials. So I want to apologise to schools. The managers of the uMlazi and Pinetown districts are dealing with the issue.”
Mayor Gumede added that she would be meeting with Education MEC Khethomthandayo Dlungwana to further discuss this issue.
She said poor schools should not suffer by having electricity and water disconnected adding that the acting head of electricity Maxwell Mthembu would also further look into the issue.
“I have been told that there is a turnaround strategy. We will also be looking at big businesses who are not paying for services. They cannot be making money and not paying for services. We hope that this will also assist us with debt collection,” she added.
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