In the coming days, the Johannesburg metro police department (JMPD) will join City Power to target more defaulting businesses.
They will also remove illegal connections in hotspot areas while encouraging defaulting customers, especially businesses, to make payment arrangements, Mangena said.
He said the reinforcement of a paying culture is important for City Power if it is to continue with its day-to-day operations and to implement its future energy management strategies.
“City Power has resolved to take a tough line on nonpayment of accounts and to restrict services to businesses that continue to refuse to pay for services they consume.
“The objective of this operation is to improve the profitability, performance and position of City Power so it’s able to continue to repair and maintain its infrastructure and to provide essential services to the residents of Johannesburg.”
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Apartheid Museum, business centres disconnected for City Power debt
The businesses owe millions in electricity debt but failed to make the outstanding payments despite receiving pre-disconnection notices
Image: Supplied
City Power has disconnected the power supply to business centres, manufacturing companies and the Apartheid Museum for failing to pay millions in electricity bills.
The team from the Reuven Service Delivery Centres (SDC) embarked on their first day of a weeklong cut-off operation on Tuesday and targeted defaulting businesses in Comptonville, Village Main Extension, Ormonde Extension 33 and Aeron.
The Reuven SDC tried to recover R40m of debt owed as part of the outstanding R8.9bn owed across Johannesburg. Reuven SDC is owed R1.2bn, said City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena.
The businesses cut off on Tuesday were given pre-disconnection notices months ago but have failed to make payment arrangements, he said.
“The list of defaulters includes two business centres together owing a total of R4.3m, two mine equipment manufacturing companies owing a total of R1.3m and the Apartheid Museum near Gold Reef City owing R1.8m,” Mangena said.
City Power pulls plug on night shift
In the coming days, the Johannesburg metro police department (JMPD) will join City Power to target more defaulting businesses.
They will also remove illegal connections in hotspot areas while encouraging defaulting customers, especially businesses, to make payment arrangements, Mangena said.
He said the reinforcement of a paying culture is important for City Power if it is to continue with its day-to-day operations and to implement its future energy management strategies.
“City Power has resolved to take a tough line on nonpayment of accounts and to restrict services to businesses that continue to refuse to pay for services they consume.
“The objective of this operation is to improve the profitability, performance and position of City Power so it’s able to continue to repair and maintain its infrastructure and to provide essential services to the residents of Johannesburg.”
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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