Johannesburg’s power utility, City Power recovered a staggering R3.6 million during a cut-off operation in the Randburg Service Delivery Centre (SDC) on Thursday.
The operation, conducted in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, focused on 12 high-debt defaulting customers who collectively owed over R36.2 million in unpaid electricity bills.
City Power spokesperson, Isaac Mangena, said R1.4 million was recovered from a shopping centre in Randpark Ridge and R2.2 million from a business park complex in Hoogland, after both establishments had their power supplies disconnected.
“The shopping centre was previously disconnected, but the owner illegally reconnected themselves and erected a barricaded structure around our mini substation, obstructing access for regular audits.
“After ignoring several intervention measures including pre-termination notices to settle their debt, the City Power revenue protection team switched off their power supply point,” said Mangena.
Mangena added that business tenants at the shopping centre were in disbelief when they learned that the property owner had not been paying for services despite paying monthly rent.
He said business tenants were left in the dark even though they were making electricity payments to the property owner, who was not paying the power utility.
“The property owner was left with no choice but to make a 32% payment towards their debt and entered into a payment arrangement to settle their balance in the next three months.”
Amongst some of the defaulting clients, a business centre in Randpark Ridge with high profile retail business tenants was disconnected for owing the power utility R9 million.
Mangena said an independent power and water producer in Hoogland, and two other businesses in Bryanston and Ferndale, were also cut off during the operation for owing a combined total of R6 million.
Additionally, another shopping centre and five domestic customers in Bryanston had their services disconnected for non-payments of over R10 million.
Mangena said the utility was owed about R9.8 billion by defaulting customers across the City, and of this amount, a significant R650 million is owed by customers within the Randburg SDC.
“We continue to make significant strides in revenue collection across the city. However, the utility warns that defaulting customers must settle their debts or face the consequences of having their electricity supply disconnected,” he said.
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