Shopping centre disputes illegal reconnection claims
After the metro opened criminal cases against the shopping centre, saying it had illegally reconnected power, the shopping centre says the reconnection was done in terms of an arrangement it made with the city.
Lyttelton Shopping Centre’s landlord has disputed the allegations levelled against it by the Tshwane metro regarding an alleged illegal electricity connection.
This after the metro opened cases of fraud and tampering with infrastructure last Thursday.
The centre said in response to questions from Rekord that it had a dispute on its alleged approximately R3-million arrears account with the city.
“There is a dispute on the accounts with the Tshwane metro, and last week an arrangement was made with the metro for an amount to be paid and the supply to be re-connected in the interim.
“The amount was paid in good faith and the electricity was re-connected by the metro.”
The centre said at no stage did it re-connect the supply itself.
“The reconnection was done in terms of the arrangement made by the metro,” it said.
Tshwane has opened a criminal case at Lyttelton SAPS against the local business complex for an alleged illegal connection to the power grid.
The metro has been identifying and disconnecting non-paying businesses, government departments, households and residential estates across the city whose accounts are in arrears.
Finance MMC Jacqui Uys responded that the case was under investigation.
“This is a very complicated situation and under investigation,” she said.
“The case is ongoing.”
Uys confirmed to Rekord earlier that the case of tampering with infrastructure and fraud was opened on Thursday, March 7, after Tshwane had discovered that the shopping complex in Lyttelton had allegedly illegally reconnected itself to the power grid.
The complex had its electricity disconnected the week before as part of the Tshwane Ya Tima revenue collection campaign.
“We have also uncovered a bigger network of corruption that possibly implicates city officials working with some of these clients, doing illegal reconnections and so this will also prompt further investigation in the city,” Uys told Rekord.
The complex allegedly owed the city over R3-million.
Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said last week that the shopping complex had been disconnected.
“It was brought to the city’s attention that the business complex has illegally reconnected its electricity without making any arrangements with the city,” he said.
“Today’s disconnection action should serve as a notice to those who continue to tamper with the city’s infrastructure that their criminal actions will be met with adequate and decisive action from the municipality, working jointly with the criminal justice cluster.”
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