A City Power official inspects a meter box in Randburg. File Picture: Motlabana Monnakgotla
Johannesburg’s City Manager, Floyd Brink is expected to lead a team of City Power officials as they disconnect power from non-paying residents and businesses in the south of the city on Tuesday.
The operation is expected to take place from 9am on Tuesday.
The City of Johannesburg is owed over R10 billion in unpaid electricity bills by business and private residents.
In a short statement, Joburg City Power said the disconnecting of power would be targeted at non-paying businesses and residents in Naturena, Johannesburg South.
“City Power alongside the various senior leadership of the City of Johannesburg will embark on three different cut-off operations across the city to target defaulting and non-paying business and residential customers, as well as hijacked buildings,” said City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena.
“City Manager Brink will lead an operation to cut off defaulting and non-paying business customers in Naturena.”
Last week, Joburg City Power officials managed to disconnect the power at just one of four targeted hijacked buildings in the inner city who owed the municipality over R20 million between them.
More than 70 people died in a hijacked building when it caught fire on August 31, leading to a probe into the large number of buildings that have been hijacked.
Among the four buildings, they had last paid the city an electricity bill in 2017.
The officials faced threats at several buildings as City Power officials attempted to cut the power, leading to the operation being abandoned.
The SA Police Service had conducted a risk assessment and advised against the continuation of the operation owing to a lack of sufficient personnel.
IOL