Industrial park believes it is paying R19k more per month than it should
Industrial park owner has been trying to apply for a supply downgrade but the City of Johannesburg has been unhelpful.
The owner of an industrial park has been trying for 10 months and visiting three separate municipal walk-in centres, to have an expensive levy removed from the monthly bill.
With no satisfaction from the City of Joburg, Naomi Wessels of Saxon Industrial Park has turned to the media.
“We have been paying a R19 000 demand levy each month that I believe we should not be paying. We could have hired two people with this money,” she said at the property in Strijdom Park.
“We used to have a tenant with large fridges that required greater loads of electricity, but they left before Covid-19 and, yet, we are still paying the demand levy for that power supply. I keep asking the city to help, or at least come look and see how little electricity we are using but they have done nothing. I will have to get a lawyer and go the legal route.”
Ward 104 councillor Emi Koekemoer has been trying to assist but has also had no help from the city.
“It’s costing them a fortune, it’s electricity they are not using so they are busy paying a service fee for consumption that they are not using,” the ward councillor said.
“She [Wessels] wanted to apply for a downgrade of their supply, so we logged into the virtual billing open day and I tried to assist her that way… They basically said this is what you need to send through to us, we are going to get this sorted, and weeks went by and we heard nothing back from them.”
Afterwards, Koekemoer helped Wessels send the documents to two staff members at the revenue office, who said a form was submitted incorrectly. Wessels resubmitted the form but then there was no reply.
When Randburg Sun brought the matter to the attention of City of Joburg spokesperson Virgil James he said, “It remains a matter between the client and Revenue/City Power to resolve and not in the media space though I understand the client’s frustration in dealing with the matter.”
This publication replied to James that the resident has had no satisfaction after many months dealing directly with the city, and it was her right to turn to the media now.
Questions were also asked of James on December 1, including what residents should do if they receive no satisfaction from the City of Joburg.
At the time of going to print, more than a month later, James has yet to respond.
Koekemoer recommended when residents do not receive satisfaction from the city, they should report these to the municipal ombudsman.
Details: The Ombudsman of Johannesburg complaints@joburgombudsman.org.za; 010 288 2800.
Also read: If you have issues of billing, evictions and land invasions, contact the Ombudsman
