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Mayor leads YaTima drive in the CBD

Mayor Cilliers Brink says the teams noticed many instances of illegal connections and would be pursing criminal cases against each.

Accompanied by officials, police and electricians, Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink led a YaTima drive in various parts of the metro yesterday, starting in the CBD.

The drive followed a similar effort last week led by city manager Johann Mettler and the MMCs for finance and human settlements, Jacqui Uys and Ofentse Madzebatela.

Such revenue collection campaigns, started in 2021, seek to disconnect the electricity supply to clients who run up high service bills but fail to pay their monthly invoices.

“If you are consuming water and electricity and are not paying for those services… we are going to cut those services, if we don’t, we breach our obligation to those that do pay,” said Brink.

“We have also seen that in some instances, people don’t pay their bills and instal solar panels. We’re also going to act against that, we’re going to issue a summons, get judgment debt and take property in execution of judgment debt. We simply have to. The time when anything goes is over, this community wants people to pay their obligations, because everyone understands that’s the only way we can move forward as a city and as a country.”

The drive had targeted both businesses and residential areas in the suburbs that owe the city millions. The mayor assured residents it would not only target big businesses that owe millions, but also residents that owe much less to instil a culture of payment.

“If you do an illegal connect, or if you’re not paying your bill, someone is paying, somebody is experiencing a deterioration of service if you’re not meeting your obligation. If you need to make an arrangement with the municipality, please approach [it] and see what can be done, it’s better than simply not paying and waiting for us to come,” he said.

During the shutoffs in Brooklyn, Hatfield and Pretoria West, the mayor and his team spotted a lot of illegal connections and made assurances that criminal cases would be filed in each instance.

During the drive led by the city manager last week, 10 teams were dispatched to disconnect properties in arrears.

“The TshwaneYaTima campaign continues to be pivotal for the city. As you have heard, the mayor continues to speak about the importance of rescuing the finances of this city, so TshwaneYaTima is at the forefront of this. We are owed about R22.5 billion, so what we are now doing is targeting the top 1 500 debtors,” Madzebatela said outside the Morestêr Flats in Arcadia, a building believed to be owned by the SAPS.

TshwaneYaTima cut the power of only one of the units that reportedly owes the metro R1.9 million.

“At the end of the day, by-laws must be enforced. We must collect what is owed to the city. For those who cannot pay, there are many options that they can pursue. Firstly, come to our offices and make an arrangement, secondly, if you can’t afford [it] and are in a residence, you can come forward to be registered on the indigent programme. So what we are saying is people must come out and pay and we want to thank those keeping their accounts up to date to ensure we provide services to the city,” said Madzebatela.

Officials nad mayor Cilliers Brink disconnecting a property’s power. Photo: Supplied

The metro also cut the electricity supply to the entire Suncardia shopping centre on Madiba Street that it claimed owed R3.9 million.

“We very often find people don’t understand how their accounts work, how the disconnections work and therefore we are asking people that if you are unsure, if you can’t pay your bill, approach the city, take responsibility for your debt and make a payment arrangement,” Uys said.

“In the case of a home and it’s a poor community, approach the city to arrange a payment plan that can accommodate you. There is no reason to not settle your municipal account. You can see behind us is a building with various tenants that will now be affected because the landlord is not paying the bill. He gets the rent and has the responsibility to pay it to the city, we as the city have the responsibility to collect that money and render services to the people.”

The finance MMC said the metro has focused on prepaid meters to ensure bills don’t continue to rise to an astronomical level. She said previously the metro focused on all residents in arrears but now it is using its resources to deal with those that owe larger amounts.

“It is through looting and criminality that we find ourselves in the position that we are in now. Some illegally connect, while others take the metro seriously. It is only through the people standing up and taking responsibility for what they use that we really move forward,” she said.

The team also hit student accommodation buildings on Church and Pretorius streets that respectively owe R2.7-million and R2.5-million, as well as an apartment block on Hamilton Street that owes R1.9-million.

Officials and mayor Cisliers Brink outside a property of which the account is in arrears. Photo: Supplied

Residents at those locations were certainly displeased by the metro’s visit, though Madzebatela said the effort was an extreme measure the city had taken after several warnings.

“Before we even get to disconnections, one would have many communications with the city. You would’ve been told you are owing and that you’re supposed to be paying. Then you get your warning letters and then your final demand. Then a job card is issued which our municipal workers carry to the sites. The workers are required to present this card before disconnection and then you must give access to the building. Failure to do so will result in the metro police being called and we will implement what we need to,” said Madzebatela.

He also said locks that don’t belong to the city would be cut off meters and that residents and properties must have city-approved locks on their meters when credit control is being done. Should unauthorised locks continue to be used, fines will be issued.

Tshwane said tampering, interference or by-passing an electricity meter makes the perpetrator guilty of an offence and upon conviction, they will face a fine and/or imprisonment.

Mayor Cilliers Brink and officials looking for a property owner. Photo: Supplied

Last month, Tshwane hosted a billing outreach day in Atteridgeville and Soshanguve, focused on the following:

– Meter reading and invoicing

– Credit control and assistance with payment arrangements

– Billing enquiries

– Social development (indigent programme)

– Electricity queries

– Issues pertaining to late estates

Despite the metro’s efforts, the residents remained unhappy over the disconnections.

A manager of the student accommodation building on Church Street said the owner has been in a constant battle with the metro over electricity issues over the past five years.

“They said they will send engineers, people to come look and never send anyone. I’m very unhappy with this. Every month we have to go to Princess Park to sort this out but they did not come and fix this,” said 79-year-old resident, Lien Van Der Merwe.

“They charge us from the smart meters, R66 000 for the energy to the property, not the electricity. Then it went up to R77 000, then R102 000 and so on,” she said.

Her son, who only identified himself as H Van Der Merwe, said the building could house up to 38 people but had not been fully let since Covid.

“This is crazy, I don’t know what’s happening because for five years, no one came and we have what, 40 people taking pictures of one meter. Five years, that old lady (Lien) she’s 79 do you know how many times she’s been to the town council and comes back with nothing done? Probably 10–15 times, emails and so on. My wife and I have been to council too many times also, now they’re coming with cameras and the news, they want to cut the power, let them cut it, at least something is finally being done,” he said.

 

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