The nightmare has just become a reality for residents after management of Rand West City Local Municipality (RWCLM) issued an official notice of its intention to disconnect electricity that will affect large parts of town soon.
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The notice issued by acting municipal manager Marks Nkele read, “The notice is hereby given that RWCLM is continuing with its credit control processes, this is due to the fact the Municipality is in arrears in terms of its consumer accounts to Eskom and Rand Water due to non-payment of services and illegal connections.
The municipality will continue with the disconnections of services of consumers who have failed to make payment, including illegal connections. Disconnections will be effected after the following processes have been adhered to:
• A notice of the outstanding arrears is issued
• Enquiries and queries raised by consumers are responded to
• Payments and arrangements are in place in terms of the Credit Control policy, applicable legislation and by-laws
• Verification and data cleansing of indigents
“The above process will run concurrently with meter verification and audit. Failure to adhere to the above will result in the disconnection of services in the following suburbs:
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A detailed table of which suburbs are in arrears, their payment level as well as the number of consumers not purchasing prepaid electricity:
“The total outstanding debt amounts to R1, 046 billion with an average payment of 73%. The total number of consumers who are not purchasing prepaid electricity is 17 675.
It is upon this background that the municipality is left with no option but to disconnect. All queries and enquiries must be referred to the credit section in the Finance Directorate. Consumers are advised to bring along the picture of their water meter and prepaid electricity meter number,” Nkele said.
