Tshwane Metro has dismissed a misleading message on social media indicating that customers can no longer buy electricity.

The message cites that the challenges are due to the disconnection of the previous third-party vendor from the metro’s vending system platform after customers’ contracts had expired.

According to metro spokesperson Selby Bokaba, the transition process from the previous third-party vendors to the recently appointed ones was seamless.

“The new tender was awarded in December last year. The process to disconnect the previous vendors from the vending system platform started in March this year to make way for the newly appointed service providers to be able to operate from April 1,” said Bokaba.

Bokaba added that those with a huge credit on their vending machines were allowed to vend until their credit was at zero.

“We also want to assure our customers that the prepaid electricity sales will not be disrupted. The current service providers have a 100 % city-wide coverage of prepaid electricity point of sales,” he said.

Bokaba mentioned that customers should continue to buy their electricity tokens through banks, retail shops, petrol stations, spaza shops, and many other outlets that are linked to the current service providers.

“Our customers can also purchase electricity from any of the city’s customer care walk-in-centres cashiers during office hours,” said Bokaba.

Tshwane has recently embarked on a comprehensive project to fix its billing revenue stream.

MMC for utilities and regional operations and coordination, Themba Fosi, previously said the city plans to bring its 12 000 truant accounts in line, replace 20 000 unused postpaid meters, and fix the vending system to ensure prepaid meters work beyond November this year.

He said the plan is to ensure a more efficient billing system and reduce financial losses due to faulty meters.

Fosi said that the city planned on modernising its infrastructure, improving efficiency, and enhancing revenue security.

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