eDumbe residents left in the dark
AfriForum requested the eDumbe Municipality to immediately restore the residents’ electricity supply. If the municipality fails to adhere to our demands, AfriForum will approach the High Court to protect the rights of our members and of the residents of Paulpietersburg.
eDUMBE Local Municipality recently disconnected the electricity supply to some residents in Paulpietersburg without giving them the prescribed 14 days pre-termination notice, according to AfriForum.
Heinz Hambrock, vice-chairperson of the AfriForum branch in Paulpietersburg, said that a number of residents had approached AfriForum for assistance after eDumbe Municipality disconnected the electricity supply. These residents informed us that they haven’t received any utility accounts for the last few months.
“When an enquiry was made to the eDumbe Municipality regarding their failure to send out utility accounts, they informed us that the municipality can’t afford to buy paper to print the accounts.”
“It is with surprise and disappointment that AfriForum learned that eDumbe Local Municipality disconnected their residents’ electricity supply without following the correct procedures. Constitutional Judge, J Skweyiya, made it very clear in his ruling in the case of Leon Joseph vs the City of Johannesburg (Case CCT 43/09 [2009] ZACC 30) that municipalities must afford the user a pre-termination notice,” said Chris Fourie, provincial coordinator for AfriForum in KwaZulu-Natal.
“For this notice to be ‘adequate’ it must contain all relevant information, including the date and time of the proposed disconnection, the reason for the proposed disconnection, and the place at which the affected parties can challenge the basis of the proposed disconnection. Moreover, it must afford the applicants sufficient time to make any necessary enquiries and investigations, to seek legal advice and to organise themselves collectively if they so wish. At a minimum, it seems to me that 14 days pre-termination notice is fair, and is consistent with the provisions of the Credit Control By-laws.”
AfriForum requested the eDumbe Municipality to immediately restore the residents’ electricity supply. If the municipality fails to adhere to our demands, AfriForum will approach the High Court to protect the rights of our members and of the residents of Paulpietersburg.
At the time of going to press, no response had been received from eDumbe Municipality regarding this matter.
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