There will be dark days ahead for 100 families from the Leopard Rock estate in Midrand after the Joburg City Power disconnected electricity at the apartment block as the body corporate owes the city over R5 million in an unpaid light bill.
This comes as the City of Joburg intensifies revenue collection efforts around the municipality, with residents and businesses owing the city over R10 billion in unpaid electricity bills.
On Wednesday, City Power’s revenue protection team targeted some businesses and residents who owed exorbitant amounts to the City.
One of these was the 100-unit Leopard Rock estate, whose body corporate owes the City of Joburg R5.1 million in unpaid electricity bills.
Officials have disconnected the power supply to the estate, which uses a bulk meter system. The 100 families at the estate pay their monthly electricity bill to the Leopard Rock Body Corporate, which is then expected to pay over the money to the City of Joburg.
All 100 units at the estate will have no power until the body corporate comes into an arrangement with the City of Joburg.
Meanwhile, the officials also targeted four other businesses in Midrand, including the Vaal Value Warehouse, which owed R1.2 million; the New Model Private College, which owed R1.2 million; Zwa Tadulu Capital, a financial services company, which owed R721,000; and Long Meadow Business Estate, which owed R112,000.
All the properties had their electricity disconnected, and they are expected to make arrangements with the City before the lights are reconnected.
The Midrand operation appeared to command considerable success, compared to the Naturena operation on Tuesday, where the officials only managed to disconnect 20 properties after animated protests from residents who forced officials to abandon the mission.
The Naturena community owed the city over R309 million in unpaid electricity bills. Over the past three years, the city estimates it has lost about R90 million as residents illegally bypassed the electrical system by making unlawful connections and stealing electricity from the municipality.
Meanwhile, City Power officials who tried last week to disconnect electricity at four hijacked buildings in Johannesburg, but met resistance, were set to go back to the buildings on Wednesday under heavier police guard.
The residents of three of the four hijacked buildings owed R20 million. Officials managed to disconnect power at one building, but a hostile crowd and threats prevented officials from conducting their work safely, and the mission was temporarily abandoned.
Councillor Jack Sekwaila, the MMC for Infrastructure Services, and councillor Mgcini Tshwaku, the MMC for Public Safety, were expected to lead the operation.
The City of Joburg has intensified efforts to clean up hijacked buildings since the Usindiso building fire in Marshalltown, where 77 people lost their lives after a fire broke out in the hijacked building.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, and it is now the point of a commission of inquiry set up by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi.
IOL