The front page headline ("Blackout blackmail: Pay up or you're off", November 7), which labelled Tshwane City's actions to recover unpaid electricity bills with the pejorative "blackmail" is unjustified, ill-considered, unfair and just plain silly in the circumstances.
We must not expect or demand that players in the supply side of the electricity industry be less than utterly businesslike in their pursuit of debtors who are in arrears.
A little compassion for the credit controllers is well and good, but the extent of non-payment due to weak and inefffective controls is outrageous and unacceptable.
As a boy in England during World War 2, I saw, and still see, no wrong with the "shilling in the slot or no lights" system.
People must learn to manage their demands and must settle debts within their household budgets.
They must understand that if you have no money, you cannot have whatever you like.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
