City Power cuts off Kew company that owes R2 million
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena says they have an obligation to provide power to all and sundry in the city and can only efficiently do so with people and institutions meeting their payment obligations.
As part of its ongoing blitz on defaulting and illegally connected companies and institutions, City Power has cut off power supply to a Kew company that owes it more than R2 million.
Outdoor lighting manufacturing company Ashur Properties was cut off on January 17 during the blitz but a man who said he was the accountant of the company that employs 30 people on 9th Road Kew, Sylvester Joseph claims they have been paying but City Power continues to bill them on a wrong metre.
“We have been paying City Power R10 000 monthly ever since this problem started a couple of years ago and the matter was being handled by our lawyers in a bid to rectify once and for all but we have not reached a common understanding.
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“I have records to prove this and all the correspondence that we have had with City Power through our lawyers,” he claimed.
He added that at one time the debt issue eventually went to the High Court and they were supposed to have another round of meetings with the City of Johannesburg as the city has changed its lawyers.
“I am surprised you are now cutting us out of the power grid. What are we going to do to the more than 30 staff that we employ here. We are a small company but we play a vital role in the livelihoods of these employees and their extended families,” Joseph pleaded with the technicians in the hope they would not cut off the company’s power supply.
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Asked by Alex News what he would do next seeing the City Power was not buying his story, Joseph said the company will have to approach the courts to seek an interdict against the actions of the power utility.
“I am so stressed right now as I never expected this long-standing issue would result in us being cut off as I was comfortable a solution would be found through the two entities’ legal teams. There is nothing I can do as they have a termination letter for our power.”
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena urged other companies and institutions to take a leaf from the book of Ashur Properties and come forward to rectify and regularise their issues and debts with City Power in order to avoid being eventually cut off.
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“We have a mandate to provide power to all people and businesses and organisations within the city and this mandate can only be fulfilled when everyone comes to the party and pay their dues on time or make arrangements to regularise their accounts to eventually pay off their debts.”
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