eMBALENHLE – Sibongile Mahlangu, a resident of Ext15 in eMbalenhle is accusing the Govan Mbeki Municipality of being unfair to its electricity consumers.
Mahlangu bought electricity through her bank App last month which was rejected by the meter box at her house. She also did not receive the necessary help from the municipality.
“It was not the first time this happened. I previously bought electricity from a nearby retailer and it was also rejected.
“After realising that the electricity I had bought online was rejected, I reported it at the bank, was told that the electricity belongs to the municipality and I won’t be refunded.
“When I reported the matter to the municipality, I was sent back to my bank. I do not know wat to do,” said Mahlangu.
She wants either her money returned or the electricity. Mahlangu wants the municipality to clearly stipulate where the community can buy electricity.
Lucky Mhlongo, the acting communications manager of the municipality asked that Mahlangu report her problem at the municipality office in Secunda and she will be assisted.
Govan Mbeki Municipality sacked Ideal Prepaid Solution, a company that was contracted as an electricity vendor last year and appointed a new company called the MBL Smart solution this year.
Mahlangu is not the only consumer who is affected by this switchover.
Residents in other towns are also facing the same problem where they are unable to load their electricity after the municipality changed their electricity meters and appointed a new vending company.
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The executive mayor, Nhlakanipho Zuma, has previously told the media GMM decided to terminate its contract with the company that was selling prepaid electricity on behalf of the municipality.
Zuma told the media that the Ideal Prepaid Solution contract was illegally signed.
Zuma said the council also decided to issue the company with a notice to terminate their services and it was agreed that all supply chain processes and regulations will be followed when appointing a new service provider to deliver revenue enhancement strategies for the municipality.
Zuma said residents should buy electricity from legal vendors. He said this when he was officially opening a newly refurbished ring-sub 3 in eMbalenhle last earlier this month.
