City Power has acknowledged a public statement issued by the Mouton Education Foundation NPC, trading as Curro, regarding the interruption of electricity supply to Curro Midrand Sagewood School in Noordwyk, and has moved to clarify its position on the matter.

According to Midrand Reporter, the utility maintains that the disconnection was carried out lawfully as part of its revenue protection and credit control programme, in line with the Municipal Systems Act 32 of 2000, applicable credit control and debt collection by-laws, and the City of Johannesburg’s revenue management framework.

City Power rejected claims that its earlier public statement issued yesterday (June 25) was false, unlawful or defamatory, stating that the information released was based on operational data available at the time.

“The statement was issued on the basis of information reasonably available to the utility at the time and reflected the operational facts as recorded on City Power’s internal systems,” said City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena. According to Mangena, the decision to interrupt electricity supply was informed by SAP records and internal billing systems, which indicated substantial arrears on the account at the time of action. He said there was no indication at that stage of an active dispute recorded in a manner that would have prevented enforcement action under its statutory debt recovery mandate.

Revenue dispute heading to court

City Power argued that operational decisions must be made based on available information at the time, and that subsequent disputes or engagements do not automatically render earlier enforcement actions unlawful. “These matters must be determined through the appropriate legal and administrative processes.”

City Power also disputed claims suggesting the interruption was caused by an administrative delay or system error, stating that such allegations remain unverified. Mangena added that the full history of the account, including previous engagements, reconciliations and any disputed billing components, is still under review. He said it is committed to compiling a complete and accurate account record, which includes verification of billing data, internal system information and documentation submitted by Curro. He added that the objective of the process is to ensure any outstanding issues are resolved on the basis of verified information and within the framework of applicable law.

Invitation for further engagement

While maintaining its position, Mangena said City Power remains open to continued engagement with Curro and has invited the institution to submit all relevant supporting documentation relating to its dispute. The utility stressed that constructive engagement and evidence-based resolution remain central to resolving complex account disputes. Pending the completion of the verification process, he said it may issue further clarification should it be necessary, without admitting liability. The utility also noted that parts of the matter are now before the courts and said it will respect the judicial process and refrain from commenting further on issues under litigation.

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