COJ issues termination notices to illegally connected residents

As the country grapples with stage 3 load shedding, Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba and MMC for finance Funzela Ngobeni have joined a Buya Mthetho operation in which city of Joburg officials have travelled around the city to issue pre-termination notices to property owners and large businesses with illegal connections to the city’s power grid.

The #BuyaMthetho operation will focus on issuing pre-termination notices to large business and property owners who have connected illegal connections to the City’s service. ^LM pic.twitter.com/y8bAHcIFTR

— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) February 12, 2019

According to the COJ’s Twitter page, operation Buya Mthetho “is a daily ward-based raid initiative focusing on the implementation of city’s bylaws within the municipality.”

The revenue enhancement unit has been actively targeting large non-compliant developments to recuperate lost revenue when the City’s services are connected illegally. #BuyaMthetho ^LM pic.twitter.com/1B5DdNOOCL

— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) February 12, 2019

The city reports that its revenue enhancement unit has been actively targeting large non-compliant developments to recuperate lost revenue when the city’s services are connected illegally. As such, officials issued invoices today requiring these non-compliant entities to pay up or risk termination of their connections with a particular focus on recently developed properties.

One such business, which has accrued a bill of R20 million since 2015, was handed an invoice today by the city’s mayor after the revenue enhancement team calculated said bill following a visit to the business a few weeks ago.

We’ve just reached our first location in Ormonde near Golf Reef City. The organisation has been illegally connected to power since 2015 and owes the City over R20 million #BuyaMthetho ^LM pic.twitter.com/n3QjqDh6z6

— City of Joburg (@CityofJoburgZA) February 12, 2019

@CityofJoburgZA @HermanMashaba @FunzelaZA The executive Mayor means business and won't let the City continue to be robbed of its money. #BuyaMthetho. ^NJ pic.twitter.com/K0kMRR6EOD

— Joburg Finance (@JoburgFinance) February 12, 2019

This particular operation is aimed at recovering funds that the city has lost through illicit connections in an effort to redirect those funds to key areas in the city’s budget.

Even if we find that there has been corruption within the City resulting in illegal connections, we will make sure those officials are dealt with. Corruption is public enemy no1 #BuyaMthetho @JoburgFinance

— Herman Mashaba (@HermanMashaba) February 12, 2019

@CityofJoburgZA @FunzelaZA @HermanMashaba The City's well established #BuyaMthetho Unit today continues with the work of recovering money lost to business through nonpayment of Rates & Services, this money will help the City deliver on its promises to service the residents. ^NJ

— Joburg Finance (@JoburgFinance) February 12, 2019

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