Protest in eMzinoni over blocked meters heats up
A truck was set alight on the evening of September 16.
Residents of the eMzinoni township in Bethal took to the streets on September 16. They barricaded roads with burning tyres in protest against the Govan Mbeki Municipality’s (GMM) decision to block their electricity meters over unpaid service accounts.
The protestors accused the GMM of being unfair and violating their rights by denying them electricity. The police used rubber bullets to disperse the crowds and cleared the roads of stones and tyres.
The demonstrators then moved to the Bethal municipal offices, demanding that Mayor Nhlakanipho Zuma personally unblock their meters.
The situation turned tense when the municipal office gate was damaged, and members of the Public Order Policing Unit worked throughout the day to prevent the protestors from blocking Bethal town roads with tyres and stones.
Community leaders told eMzinoni station commander Captain Lucky Nkosi that they wanted all blocked meters unblocked, so residents could buy electricity, arguing that electricity supply should not be linked to municipal service debt.
“Why block our meters for non-payment of services? The municipality doesn’t generate electricity; Eskom does,” said a resident, who claimed to have inherited a R300 000 debt.
“I am unemployed, surviving on the R350 social relief grant. How am I supposed to pay off a R300 000 debt with R350? The municipality should erase historic debt and start afresh with flat-rate payments.”
Residents insisted they wanted only their meters unblocked, promising to escalate other grievances to the Mpumalanga premier’s office.
Zuma later addressed the protestors, urging them to visit municipal offices for help in negotiating their debts. He emphasised that meters would remain blocked until payment arrangements were made for current accounts and historic debts.
“When I was here previously, I said anyone struggling should come forward for help. Some did, but their leaders discouraged them. I repeat, anyone needing help can come to our offices. Once payment arrangements are in place, the meters will be unblocked,” Zuma told the crowd.
Despite his address, protests continued. A truck was set alight on the evening of September 16.
At a media briefing the next day, Zuma explained that residents who made payment arrangements would have the interest frozen until they had settled the debt in its entirety.
He said the GMM had adopted new technologies to manage credit control more cost-effectively by remotely blocking smart meters rather than using contractors to disconnect power.
“If the municipality does not enforce credit control and debt collection, it will be doomsday for us. We risk load-shedding from Eskom and water throttling by Rand Water. We plead for tolerance,” Zuma said.
The police confirmed arresting four people during the protests and charging them with public violence. They will soon appear in court.
