Leone Botma is renting a house through a local real estate agent which has given instructions to Ekurhuleni to switch off Botma’s electricity because she is behind on her water and electricity bill.
Botma says that the water and electricity account is in her name and that it has nothing to do with the real estate agency, but that it is between her and the municipality.
The house has a prepaid meter.
“They have no right to tell Ekurhuleni to switch my power off and the fact that Ekurhuleni allowed it, is unbelievable,” says Botma.
Botma is up-to-date with her rent and can’t understand why the real estate agency would tell Ekurhuleni to switch off her electricity if her rent is paid.
She has asked the agent and Ekurhuleni to switch her power back on, but both refused.
Matters has gone so far that Botma had to get legal advice and had to obtain a court order against them, which has been approved.
Her lawyer phoned the agent before the court order to give them a friendly warning, but allegedly the phone was put down in his ear.
Botma also says that someone at the agency told her if she does not like what they are doing and how they are doing it, she will be evicted.
Botma looks after her mother and has four children who all went without any electricity for days.
“If I did not pay my rent and they then switched off my electricity, I would have understood, but my rent has always been up-to-date and my Ekurhuleni account is none of their business.”
This is already costing Botma R3 500 but she says that she will give the bill to the agent to settle as this is all because of what they did and that she cannot afford that amount of money at this stage.
“I feel that this is incredibly unfair towards me and my hands are tied,” she says.
The Addie contacted the Ekurhuleni Metro for comment but has not received any at the time of publishing.
