PRETORIA – Pretoria residents in defaulting estates and complexes, you’re next. This is the warning from the City of Tshwane who said they would continue with their aggressive campaign to disconnect water, as well as electricity supply to businesses, government departments and residential areas which are overdue in payments.
Since Wednesday, executive mayor Randall Williams and acting city manager Mmaseabata Mutlaneng began a robust campaign to disconnect water and electricity supply to businesses, foreign missions and government departments.
Williams pushed back as business managers tried to plead with him to allow them to continue operating with the lights on. He said the culture of non-payment in Tshwane had created an unsustainable problem and a ballooning debt of R17 billion owed to the city.
The city inturn, owes Eskom over R600m.
City of Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba said over R40 million had already been paid by end of Wednesday.
On Thursday, Denel, the state-owned aerospace and military technology conglomerate, managed to settle their debt and paid R300 000 after their electricity supply was disconnected on Wednesday.
Our message is hitting home and resonating with our defaulting customers. Arms maker #Denel has just settled their debt after we had disconnected their electricity yesterday. #TshwaneYaTima #CoTRevenueCollection https://t.co/FpfDPOR2CU
— City of Tshwane (@CityTshwane) February 10, 2022
Consol Glass also felt the City’s wrath after they had their service cut off on Thursday following a R10 million debt.
Some of the notable commercial businesses on the list include the SA State Theatre, which has also been disconnected owing to R2.1m debt. Another is the Department of Infrastructure Development, which owes R260m in rates and services.
We are still at it, State Theater off. They are owing us R 2.1 million #TshwaneYaTima #CoTRevenueCollection pic.twitter.com/5DiXke7Cib
— City of Tshwane (@CityTshwane) February 10, 2022
Bokaba said that during Thursday’s operation, officers from the City came across a tampered water meter at a business location in Centurion. As a result, a penalty fee of R621 000.00 was added to the account.
“We have been very lenient with our customers, but now it's back to business. We can't have people defaulting on payments and then also tamper with our property,” he added.
Bokaba said they would continue with the operation until all the money owed to the municipality is settled.
“Next week Monday and Tuesday, we are targeting residential complexes and estates. On Wednesday, we are going to residential businesses in townships and going to residential areas in townships.”
He said townships in Pretoria collectively owe R8bn.
Bokaba added that they would convene on Monday and compare notes and check which organisations had made payments in order to determine how much the City had recovered.
IOL