Mayor’s office chastises school principals over R80-million utility debt

Durban school principals have been hauled before the eThekwini municipality to explain why they are not paying their utility bills — just days after it emerged that the city is owed more than R3-billion for water by consumers.

The meeting on Friday was called by city mayor Zandile Gumede but she could not attend as she had to fly to Johannesburg for another engagement. Instead‚ she sent a representative who told them the city wanted to know why they were not paying for their utility bills.

A report by the Auditor-General presented at a full council meeting on Wednesday revealed that the city was owed R3.31-billion for water but that the recoverability of this debt was doubtful.

The report said material water losses of 108.83 million kilolitres (compared to 132.51 million kilolitres in 2016) resulted in revenue losses of R645.90-million compared to R710.90-million in 2016 as a result of illegal connections and deteriorating infrastructure.

Gumede told the council that section 21 schools - schools that manage their own finances - that had outstanding utility bills would not automatically be disconnected. This was after it was revealed that section 21 schools owe the city more than R80-million in utility bills.

The city’s Mid-Year Budget and Performance Assessment Report for the six months ending 31 December 2017 tabled at the full council meeting on Wednesday had recommended that disconnection notices be sent to the affected schools and that they be disconnected.

However‚ a decision was later taken to send the notices but suspend any disconnections. “There is no way the municipality is saying schools will be disconnected. I reiterate what I said yesterday [Monday] that while we won’t stand in the way of officials doing their work they must send notices so we can see in reports what the situation is. Those schools who receive disconnection notices are welcome to come to the municipality to make payment arrangements. You have to pay for services rendered‚ it is very important‚” she said.

She said she will not allow schools in poor communities to have their electricity disconnected.

But DA councillor Pete Graham said many examples given why schools were in arrears “can be laid squarely at the door of city officials for a variety of reasons”.

“What the DA is upset about is that the city is taking on soft targets‚ including the average person in the street when the main arrears are by provincial and national government bodies. These institutions owe the city tens of millions of rand yet their lights never get cut off‚” he said.

However Corovoca Primary School in Newlands East had its power cut off last week‚ disrupting the teaching of 907 learners. The electricity was only restored on Friday after the school principal had reached a payment arrangement with the city.

Graham said the principal‚ who declined to comment‚ was upset because he had been paying the school’s utility bill.

“What happened is that the water bill was R8‚000 a month and all of a sudden it jumped to R25‚000 a month although they were never using the water and he was disputing this the whole time.”

He said after his intervention the school agreed to pay R25,000. But when he went to the school on Friday to investigate‚ he discovered that the water metre was broken and has not worked for over year.

“Then you wonder where did these numbers come from‚” said Graham.

He added that two more schools‚ Parkside Primary in Chatsworth and Sandfields Primary in Tongaat‚ also had their power cut off by the city and they had pointed this out to Gumede during Wednesday’s meeting at which she said no schools would be cut off.

“I was very disappointed when the meeting ended and the Exco ANC member said that the schools should all be thankful that the mayor is being so generous to get them reconnected. This despite her saying in council there hadn’t been any.”