City Power state the entity is still owed R1.6 billion by Johannesburg customers.
City Power have been scouring Johannesburg’s streets in search of properties illicitly consuming electricity.
The entity was in the CBD on Thursday, where it removed illegal connections from several buildings and businesses.
The disconnection drive is part of a week-long operation focusing on areas in and around the CBD.
Hijacked buildings
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the illegally connected buildings posed a security risk not only to inhabitants, but also to the municipality’s electricity grid.
“At the moment, there are 184 properties classified as problem buildings within the city, with 62 of them suspected to have been hijacked and 122 not abiding by the city’s bylaws,” stated Mangena
Mangena noted that the buildings were all in poor structural condition, featuring overcrowding and exposed wiring.
“Such settings are highly combustible and prone to devastating fires. The illegal connections also place excessive pressure on the network, destabilising the system,” he said.
City Power states that customers still have an outstanding debt of R1.6 billion with the entity and that this week’s operation could help in retrieving up to R30 million.
“City Power remains steadfast in its mission to address non-payment by defaulting customers,” concluded Mangena.
Suspected stolen meters
Highlights of Thursday’s operation included the disconnection of three hijacked buildings and a shoe-repair store in Commissioner Street found to have a suspicious meter.
“It was found operating on a residential meter rather than a business meter, and the meter, suspected to have been stolen from a township, was removed. The property was disconnected on the spot,” confirmed Mangena.
City Power states it will continue these operations until the illegal usage of municipal electricity infrastructure is halted.
“These unlawful connections disrupt businesses and factories, causing production losses that often result in job cuts.
“Ordinary paying customers are then left to endure frequent outages caused by the strain of these illegal activities,” Mangena concluded.
Police made multiple arrests and confiscated piles of electrical wiring.
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