City Power officials have cut the lights at a businesses that owes a staggering R35million unpaid electricity bills.
The officials were accompanied by a throng of Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) officers on Thursday as they continued with their rigorous campaign and pulled the plug on businesses that have been defaulting on their payments.
On Thursday, the utility targeted seven premises around the Reuven Service Delivery Centre, which services areas such as Reuven, Braamfontein and Booysens, near the inner city.
City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said the the Reuven Service Delivery Centres is owed R2.7 billion.
“The other businesses collectively owe us about R35 million and that’s what we are chasing,” he said.
Mangena said the drive also targeted rental estates because they make profit but the fail to send a portion to the utility.
“We don’t have an account or contract with the tenants but owners of the complex are the ones who owe us. One complex owes us R7.8 million... Tenants are the ones who are going to be affected because they do pay monthly services to the body corporate,” he said.
One of the premises which felt the wrath of the City was Ormonde View Estates which an astounding debt of R7.8 million.
The team also went to the City Deep’s RSA Group and disconnected electricity there due to a R3.4 million debt.
“Additionally, no attempts to make payment arrangements have been made by the defaulting power user,” Mangena said.
One of the business, Ormonde Shopping Centre, made an instant payment of R1.1 million after they were threatened with power cuts.
“This demonstrates the massive impact that these revenue collection drives have in debt recovery,” he said
Mangena said the shopping centre had a debt running at R2.8 million.
Since the year started, every Friday, the utility has targeted defaulting clients and force them to settle their debts, or threatened them with power cuts.
IOL News