Pretoria - Defaulting clients of the City of Tshwane are about to have their electricity and water supply disconnected.
The City said it was pushing forward with the confrontational revenue collection drive #TshwaneYaTima to recoup the R17 billion of revenue owed by debtors.
Acting city manager Mmaseabata Mutlaneng is leading 10 teams heading out to buildings occupied by government departments, businesses, residents, entities and embassies who have failed to make payment arrangements within measures of the law.
Having collected more than R700 million in the first instalment in March and inspiring other municipalities to follow suit, the City is this time targeting prepaid electricity meters that have been tampered with.
The teams have already identified 33 000 meters that have been tampered with.
These meters do not indicate any purchase of prepaid tokens for a considerable period.
The process to identify more defaulters is being accelerated.
Currently, residential customers owe R9.2 billion, businesses R4.2 billion, embassies R3.7 million and government departments R1 billion.
Entities like Moretele Municipality owe R15 million, the Mpumalanga Economic Growth Agency owes R140 million, the SA Post Office R1.4 million, Transnet R27 million, and Metrorail R12.6 million.
Mutlaneng said: “The City will vigorously pursue residential and business customers with accounts in arrears.
“Should a debtor not respond to the electricity disconnection within the specified period, and should the debtor or consumer have an account that includes water consumption levies, water supply will be disconnected, but restricted for residential consumers, at the consumption address,” Mutlaneng said.
“A notice to that effect will be left at the premises. The account of the debtor will be debited with the cost of this action at municipal tariffs.”
The City said if the amount for rates and taxes owed by the property owner is not paid after the specified due date, it may recover the amount in whole or, in part from a tenant or occupier of the property – but only after having served a written notice on the tenant or occupier.
Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba said teams dispatched to disconnect 311 properties with a total value of R408 million, had managed to action 53 accounts valued at R60 million by Wednesday.
“The municipality issues a stern warning to customers who, after being disconnected due to arrears, illegally reconnect and/or tamper with the electricity metering infrastructure that they will be dealt with … and slapped with a hefty fine.”
From July 1 to June 30 next year hefty tampering fines will be imposed, the City warned.
Pretoria News