By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Power utility City Power invaded five properties in the city centre by cutting off electricity in an effort to recoup R37 million owed to the municipality.
On Friday, North Hill flats in Yeoville felt the City’s wrath after it was disconnected for owing over R2.2m.
The team also went to Yettah Street in Hillbrow and disconnected Safari Court, which owes more than R16m.
It was also found that they had illegally reconnected themselves on the City’s network.
Damelin College in Braamfontein was cut off for underpaying their electricity service after falling into over R2.9m in arrears.
The City stated that it will persist in disconnecting non-paying customers as their non-compliance creates challenges in delivering essential services.
City Power CBD area manager Mmaphuti Makgabo says the revenue collection drive aims to recoup at least R37 million.
“City Power’s Inner City SDC will persist in disconnecting non-paying customers, recognising that their non-compliance creates challenges for the city in delivering essential services.
“We are mainly focusing on five properties. It’s those customers we haven’t received payments from. Our main objective is for us to collect the revenue. The total amount we are expecting to collect today is about R37million.”
Last year the utility, switched off lights at Damelin College’s Randburg campus for R2 million debt.
Meanwhile an operator error on a water plant at Kendal power station plunged the country into Stage 4 load shedding on Thursday. The error came after nearly a month of pressure on Eskom staff due to a massive water leak on one of the units.