Ward 107 councillor Floyd Ngwenya has warned that the concerning behaviour of people attacking City Power teams is not going to be tolerated in his ward.

Ngwenya said he was disappointed with some of the residents in his ward, because, even after several meetings were held where residents were informed about City Power’s decision to install smart meters, some still prevented the utility’s teams from conducting their work.

Read more: Armed assailants attack City Power security officers in Alexandra

He shared that residents had agreed that meters should be installed. “We even had a meeting where we emphasised these things, but what is disappointing is that people now fight City Power when they come to do their job.”

He said if the power utility decides to withdraw teams from the area because of the attacks, this would affect everyone. “We have the names of those people. We are going to call Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD). They must be dealt with, because, at the end of the day, they ruin things for everyone.”

He said if residents have issues, they should raise them peacefully with relevant people, so that they can talk about them and come up with a solution – not unlawfully. “We are going to deal with those people, and we are going to deal with them decisively. We cannot tolerate such lawlessness in the ward.

Also read: City Power responds to infrastructure theft and vandalism in Alex

While some residents, already battered by poverty and unemployment, often decry the unaffordability of electricity, Ngwenya encouraged them to take advantage of free basic electricity (FBE) programme, now, urgently so, with the December 31 registration deadline fast approaching.

City Power said under the FBE, indigent customers receive between 50 and 120kWh of free electricity each month, depending on household circumstances and income. “Families of four to seven members could receive up to 80kWh, while larger households, with eight or more people, could qualify for up to 120Kwh,” the power utility shared.

The FBE programme is aimed at alleviating the financial pressure of purchasing electricity among pensioners, people with disabilities, child-headed households, unemployed individuals, women and residents in informal settlements or high-density areas, and those who earn R7 800 or less per month.

City Power has encouraged residents who qualify for FBE to visit the City of Johannesburg’s health and social development department, at the Multipurpose Centre on 8th Avenue in Alexandra. The centre operates from 09:00 to 15:00, Monday to Friday.

Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates!