Non-paying business reconnects power shortly after disconnection

The City of Ekurhuleni has revealed that Ford’s Centre, a complex accommodating about 16 businesses on Dudley Smith Road in Boksburg South, had for years been trying to get away with not paying municipal bills by reputedly reconnecting itself to the power grid after disconnections.

The metro told this publication that it had on January 19 again disconnected the power supply to the centre because the property’s account was in arrears, owing the metro to the tune of R400 000.
However, when the team revisited the centre on January 30, it was found that the property had been reconnected to the grid again.

Despite the centre management’s claims that they were not aware the facility had not been paying for municipal bills, the metro had disconnected power to the property at least five times since April 2022 because the property’s account remained in arrears.

There was an instance where the client promised to make payment, but the promise was not honoured, according to the metro. As a last resort, during the latest visit to the property on January 30 the metro removed the meter for tempering, and the client was issued with a fine for illegal connection.

The revelation comes after this publication reported that fuming business operators at the centre were wondering what the future holds for their livelihoods – because their businesses have had no power to operate for a week by January 26.
Background
According to metro spokesperson, Zweli Dlamini, the property had been on their disconnection list for non-payment of municipal services, and they never bothered to pay the outstanding amount.
“On January 17, the client’s daughter-in-law promised to pay R200 000, but she failed to honour that promise.

“We then on January 19 made a follow-up, and it was found that the customer had illegally reconnected the property. It was then disconnected.
“However, when the team revisited the property on January 30, they found that the facility was illegally reconnected again.
“In this, communication was sent to the energy department to send their team to issue a fine and remove the meter for tampering.”

Responding to our question as to why was the outstanding electricity account allowed to accumulate to such a large amount without the metro taking the required action, Dlamini explained that the metro started its credit control in April 2022 while the property was owing just over R 105 000.

“The following month (May 2022), there was a water adjustment which made the account up to date, and in that, credit control became inapplicable to the client.
“However, in February 2023, the city disconnected the power supply as the client was at the time owing over R95 000. They never came to arrange or make a payment. Instead, they reconnected themselves.
“Another disconnection was implemented in May 2023, but they never bother coming in to pay or make arrangements.
“In October 2023, they were owing R 342 335,42 and another disconnection was issued, but they reconnected themselves and never made payment.”

The finance department lamented that: “If our team and energy team were working together effectively, the customer should have been issued a tamper fine and had supply removed a long time ago.”
Operation
The city had last year launched an operation called Operation Siyacima Manje-Namhlanje.

This aggressive campaign to disconnect water and electricity supply to defaulting businesses and government departments was designed to recover over R24b, which is owed to the municipality.
The startling revelations raise the questions: how many businesses are getting away with not paying municipal bills, and who is behind the illegal connections after the finance had issued disconnections of services like water and electricity?

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