The Dunnottar Military Base has been without electricity since September 30.
As of Monday afternoon, a source at the military base confirmed the power had still not been restored.
This comes after the power was cut off for non-payment by the City of Ekurhuleni.
The City confirmed to The Advertiser that the Department of Defence had not paid the municipality what is owed to them.
At the time of the disconnection, the department owed the City over R13-million.
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“The department cannot allege it did not know about the balance owing as it informed the municipality in December 2019 it would be paying its own municipal bills, and not the Department of Public Works, as had previously been the arrangement,” said Nhlanhla Cebekhulu, divisional head of communications and media relations at the City of Ekurhuleni.
“Therefore, all disconnection notices from the City were sent to the Department of Defence and not to the Department of Public Works. The total amount that was outstanding as of the end of September was R13 860 793.33.
“The Department of Defence has already made a payment to the City of R4 699 365.74 which leaves an outstanding amount of R9 161 427.59,”
It is those living on the base, however, that are suffering. There are over 100 families who have been without power for over three weeks.
“I’m a soldier, I can live like this. I went to the jungle for months where we had nothing. But there are other families at the base that have really got nothing. No one is coming back to us to tell us when this will be fixed,” said The Advertiser’s source.
Also read: Frustration grows for residents without electricity
Additionally, those who live on the base who have generators have essentially been made to pay electricity twice – first through the salary deductions and secondly either to buy fuel or candles.
There has been no communication to indicate if this money will be reimbursed to them.
Ward councillor Dean Stone decried the lack of communication between the various departments.
“Why is the metro not speaking to the commander and explaining the problem with the payment? The metro is using a blank approach and they are not thinking about the citizens, but this is a military base.
“I always say when two elephants fight, the grass gets hurt,” said Stone.
Comment from the Department of Defence will be published once it has been received.
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