River Park residents cagey about new meters
ALEXANDRA - Member of the Mayoral Committee for Environment and Infrastructure Services Matshidiso Mfikoe and City Power MD Sicelo Xulu conducted a week-long door-to-door visits in Riverpark to assess and resolve meter issues in 85 units which had led to public protests recently.

Member of the Mayoral Committee for Environment and Infrastructure Services Matshidiso Mfikoe and City Power MD Sicelo Xulu began a week-long door-to-door visits on 10 July
in Riverpark to assess and resolve meter issues in 85 units which had led to public protests recently.
Mfikoe stated that following numerous meetings with all the stakeholders, she had decided to see the issues that the community were complaining about for herself. “We are assessing all the technical problems relating to the pre-paid metering system, in conjunction with City Power and the contractors who installed the meters. We want to ensure that problems relating to faulty electricity meters, illegal electricity connections and solar water geysers are sorted, ” she explained.
However, Riverpark Residents’ Association chairperson Tsietsi Kungoane said they didn’t want a “quick fix” solution. He said the new metering system was expensive and the community, who were mostly unemployed, could not afford it. Kongoane added that they would converge soon after Mfikoe’s assessment and evaluate whether her visits yielded any positive results.
Mfikoe conceded that there were technical mistakes in the installation of the meters but added that illegal connections were also a big problem. “In some units we found that electricity boxes were tampered (with). Also, in other units we found 27 shacks which could have led to the high consumption. We also disconnected illegal connections and the owners will be disciplined,” she added.
Ward 81 councillor Margaret Radebe welcomed the operation as she felt that it was a good initiative. “I feel good about it, wrongs will be rectified. There were somany mistakes that were discovered, for example a mix up whereby a resident would buy an electricity voucher and load it, only for it to appear at the neighbour’s house.”
Mifikoe expressed that there was a need to educate residents about electricity use and that there was no proper consultation with the community prior to the installation of the meters. “We are encouraging people to communicate adequately so everybody will understand the need for metering,” she said.