City of Tshwane debt-busters set good example

It would be easy to write off as political grandstanding the move by the City of Tshwane to accelerate its campaign against bad debt by publicly naming and shaming – and then cutting off – defaulters.

Mayor Randall Williams of the Democratic Alliance is certainly not what one would call shy around a camera and has done a few self-serving photo opportunities. However, that should not detract from the fact that he and the municipality are correct in disconnecting those who owe money.

The amounts in arrears are staggering: Tshwane is owed more than R14 billion by residential customers, businesses and, more worryingly, by government departments and embassies. Its technicians cut off alleged government defaulters, including the defence force and department of education, and did the same to well-known hotels and even large shopping centres.

ALSO READ: Eskom says City of Tshwane owes it R635m

In the process, they uncovered illegal connections – or that municipal power or water systems had been tampered with.

Williams is spot-on when he says people cannot be allowed to get away with receiving something for nothing. That lost revenue could be going towards provision of good services.

We hope that Tshwane’s example is followed by other councils, including that of Johannesburg, which is sitting on a mountain of unpaid debt.