Since it was launched earlier this year, Operation Buya Mthetho, meaning ‘bring back the law’, has raked in more than R50 million in revenue for the City of Johannesburg.
The money has been recovered mostly from property account holders who have been in arrears with their rates, and electricity, water and sanitation charges.
The operation involves Metro police and various other City departments and is conducted in the different wards every day.
Earlier this month, a staggering R30,5 million was collected by a company that was in arrears.
Executive Mayor Herman Mashaba has called this ‘sterling work’. “Over 2 000 accounts that are in arrears have been identified,” he said.
Furthermore, 12 hijacked properties have been identified and eight people have been arrested for illegally reconnecting services which were was previously cut off.
“The Johannesburg Metro police has been monitoring properties where services have been cut off to ensure that services are not illegally reconnected. If they are reconnected the owners will be arrested immediately.”
The new Metro police chief, David Tembe, said there was also a focus on the inner city since many infringements of bylaws occur there.
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