Pretoria - Newly elected Johannesburg mayor Thapelo Amad joined City Power in its aggressive revenue collection by cutting off electricity in an effort to recoup R1.9bn owed by residents and businesses in Roodepoort.
Since the turn of the year, City Power has made concerted efforts to go around regions in the City cutting off electricity to get defaulting clients to pay and also remove illegal connections where people bypassed meters.
On Wednesday, the utility was joined by Amad and City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava.
“We need to make sure that our finances are in good standing and we need to go after those who owe us.
“So we are cutting of their power until they come to our offices to make arrangements to pay.
“They are not only paying the bill, but also paying the disconnection costs and the reconnection costs as well,” said Mashava.
Mashava said clients who participate in illegal connections after they have been disconnected, are engaging in illegal activities.
“That’s why we have JMPD with us, and the City has by-laws that sort out such things and impose fines where you will have to pay something like R16 000 to be reconnected.
“City Power handles the technical aspects and we allow JMPD to handle the criminal aspects,” she added.
According to Timeslive, the first client to be disconnected was a business manufacturing atchaar, the utility said the establishment owed R2.4m.
Another building, which houses offices, a tailor and a tuck shop was also switched off for owing R2.5m.
The publication added that the team went on their quest to disconnect several small businesses, including a cellphone shop, fast food restaurant, and clothing store, after it was discovered that they had reconnected illegally after being cut off in the past.
IOL