Pre-paid or darkness

Schools in Pretoria are being compelled to convert to pre-paid electricity systems without delay or face being without power during the crucial year-end examination period.

The Tshwane metro last week embarked on an unprecedented swoop of disconnecting power to 38 schools that owe R30 million collectively. This followed communication with schools the past two months, ordering them to convert to pre-paid electricity immediately or face cut-offs.

Schools that had been without power since last week were reconnected on Sunday and Monday after the Gauteng education department committed to paying their municipal debt by the end of next week.

The compulsory conversion to pre-paid electricity, however, have some schools furious. They accuse the metro of bullying tactics, unfair threats and trampling on their rights.

Hoërskool Menlo Park deputy principal Manie Geldenhuys said his school would fight Tshwane’s decision in court should its power supply be disrupted.

Geldenhuys said his school’s electricity, services and rates and taxes account were fully paid and up to date. The metro, therefore, had no right to cut the power in an attempt to force the installation of pre-paid meters.

“Before they could force such a decision on schools, the matter must be discussed and debated with the education department,” Geldenhuys said.

He said after receiving the emailed “threat” from the municipality, he had informed them that he would seek a legal remedy to the situation. “I have not heard from them since.”

Hoërskool Waterkloof was as outraged about the Tshwane demand, saying that the metro was using “bullying” tactics to get them to convert to pre-paid meters.

Some schools however, had their electricity system converted to pre-paid without their knowledge.

Hoërskool Hendrik Verwoerd headmaster Hennie du Toit said he had received an emailed notice from the metro in mid-October that the school had to change to pre-paid electricity.

“On 3 November, we received another email stating that a pre-paid meter had already been installed on 28 October,” Du Toit said, adding that his school then had to pay its electricity account for October and pre-pay for November.

The school had also been charged two unexplained levies totalling R11 500.

Tshwane Metro said the installation of pre-paid meters at schools was just the beginning.

“The the smart meter prepaid system will be applicable to all customers of the City of Tshwane (businesses, households, institutions etc),” said spokesperson Lindela Mashigo.

“By when this would be done, would be determined by the success of the roll-out plan.”

He said the government had made a commitment to reduce energy usage and had set targets for all energy users to have smart meters.

“Among other reasons for the installation of the smart pre-paid meter is to help the municipality to overcome inaccurate billing and for consumers to monitor and manage their electricity expenditures as well as consumption.”

Mashigo stressed that pre-paid meters would be installed at no cost to consumers.

City manager Jason Ngobeni said the metro was owed R6,5 billion in outstanding debt. Schools were asked to pay their arrears. The response was not satisfactory, and the metro began the disconnecting process, starting with 38 of the 140 schools whose accounts were in arrears.

“Disconnecting schools was a difficult and painful decision. We had to take in mind that the schools are busy with exams, but we had to bite the bullet and disconnect all the entities that owed us,” Ngobeni said in a statement.

“We are undeterred in our quest to recover the billions of rand we are owed and there are no holy cows. We will spare no effort to recover every single cent owed to us,” he said.

The civil rights organisation AfriForum criticised the metro’s conduct.

“The municipality cut the electricity to several schools in the capital while at the same time, there are companies with municipal debt of millions which are not being disconnected,” Afriforum Gauteng North co-ordinator Leandri Streit said.

Despite the multi-millions owned by companies, the metro did not hesitate to cut the power to schools, including a school for disabled children, Streit said.

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