Taking a firm stance against delinquent customers, the Tshwane metro cut power to several defaulters in Pretoria east, as part of its ongoing mission to recoup monies owed by their biggest defaulters.
Acting mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya accompanied by a team of Tshwane technicians and the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) on October 7, pounced on clients who had run up high service bills and then failed to honour their monthly payments.
https://x.com/CityTshwane/status/1843272051571998932
Acting executive mayor @nasiphim joined the #TshwaneYaTima disconnection drive in Waterkloof this morning. She has called on customers to pay their bills in full and on time, and if they have challenges they should approach the city to make a payment arrangement. pic.twitter.com/6AXG1d5KZb
— City of Tshwane (@CityTshwane) October 7, 2024
Moya said their focus area was the upmarket neighbourhood of Waterkloof.
She said the team started with a house whose owner owed the city R559 855.
“Our first stop was at the Tuscany estate in Waterkloof where we disconnected electricity for the defaulting customers.”
Moya said the team proceeded to Rigel Avenue where a household owed the city a staggering R1 000 993.
She called on customers to pay their bills in full and on time, and if they have challenges to approach the city to make a payment arrangement.
She said the third stop, a household inside a gated community on Lawley Street in Watekloof, owed the city R2 259 821.
The revenue collection campaigns, started in 2021, which seek to disconnect the electricity supply to clients who run up high service bills but fail to pay their monthly invoices.
Moya said the disconnected customers have not made contact with the city to arrange a payment plan despite the warnings issued.
“It is disappointing to see that these defaulters never made any contact to explain reasons or not settle their bills – instead they do illegal connections on the grid.”
Moya said it’s important that residents understand electricity theft is a crime and that the metro will institute legal action where necessary.
“Instead of connecting illegally on our infrastructure rather make contact with us, because we do have provisions. Residents can get into an affordability programme, where the council can write off a certain debt if the residents cannot afford it.”
She warned residents to refrain from illegal connections.
“If you do an illegal connect, or if you’re not paying your bill, someone is paying, somebody is experiencing a deterioration of service if you’re not meeting your obligation,” Moya said.
“If you need to make an arrangement with the municipality, please approach [it] and see what can be done, it’s better than simply not paying and waiting for us to come.”
She said the culture of non-payment must come to an end as it disrupts service delivery.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
