Prepaid power or face darkness
A storm has erupted around the Tshwane metro’s decision to force all schools in the capital city to immediately convert to prepaid electricity or face disconnection.
Schools in Pretoria, including those not in arrears on their municipal accounts, are being compelled to convert to prepaid electricity systems without delay or face being without power during the 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 communications with schools the past two months, ordering them to convert to prepaid electricity immediately or face cut-offs.
The electricity at schools that had been plunged into darkness last week were however reconnected on Sunday and Monday after the Gauteng education department committed to paying the affected schools’ municipal debt by next Friday.
The compulsory conversion to prepaid electricity have some schools furious. They have accused the metro of bullying tactics, unfair threats and trampling on their rights.
Some schools threatened court action should their power supply be disrupted, but at least one school in the Moot had its electricity system converted to prepaid without its prior knowledge.
Hoërskool Hendrik Verwoerd headmaster Hennie du Toit said he had received an e-mailed notice from the metro in mid-October that the school must change to prepaid electricity.
“On 3 November we received another e-mail stating that a prepaid 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.
“We have not even yet received details of the rate or tariff structure of the prepaid system and there was no explanation of why the two levies were charged,” he said.
Du Toit said his school had not budgeted for the double payment, adding that many schools would experience serious cash-flow problems should the same happen to them.
“I know we have to pay for electricity and services and are happy to do so. We will just have to wait and see exactly what the cost implications are. I just hope there are no hidden costs included in the tariffs,” the headmaster said.
Hoërskool Menlo Park deputy principal Manie Geldenhuys said his school would fight Tshwane’s decision in court should the school’s power be disrupted.
He said his school’s electricity, services and rates and taxes account were fully paid and up to date and that the metro therefore had no right to cut the power in an attempt to force the installation of prepaid 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,” he said.
Tshwane metro said the installation of prepaid meters at schools was just the beginning.
“The smart meter prepaid system will be applicable to all customers of the City of Tshwane (businesses, households, institutions etc),” said spokesman 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 set targets for all energy users to have smart meters.
“Among other reasons, the installation of the smart prepaid meters is to help the municipality to overcome inaccurate billing and for consumers to monitor and manage their electricity expenditures as well as consumption,” Mashigo told Rekord.
He stressed that the cost of installing prepaid meters would be done at no cost to consumers.
City manager Jason Ngobeni said Tshwane 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 the most difficult and painful decision we had to take, bearing 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.
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