By Everson Luhanga
- City Power says the Industria customer cleared a R1.5 million bill and left R400,000 in credit after making a last-minute payment during a revenue operation.
- The utility targeted six properties in one day, including a Mayfair building caught illegally reconnecting power and a Crosby day-care linked to cable theft.
A business in Industria paid R1.9 million on Friday, 19 September, to avoid being cut off from electricity.
The customer owed R1.5 million but settled the debt and added R400,000 in credit on the account. The payment came during a City Power revenue collection operation.
Isaac Mangena, spokesperson for City Power, said the case shows many customers have the money but wait until the last minute.
“The customer who paid R1.9 million did so on the spot during our operation. The payment not only cleared his arrears but also left R400,000 in credit on his account. This shows that some customers do have the money, but choose to withhold payment until disconnection is imminent,” said Mangena.
He said the Industria business was one of six properties targeted in the operation. Together, they owed the Hursthill Service Delivery Centre more than R9 million.
In Mayfair, a property owing R1.1 million was disconnected at Level 3 after the owner illegally reconnected power following a previous cut-off.
In Crosby, City Power tried to disconnect a day-care center owing R1.4 million. The building was closed, but investigators found it, a mosque next door and another property were being supplied illegally. The owner admitted to tapping into the network and promised to make payment arrangements.
He said City Power also revisited two other properties in Vrededorp and Mayfair, owing R1.9 million and R1.6 million. “Both remained cut off. A property in Auckland Park owing R1.4 million could not be disconnected because of access problems.”
Mangena warned that operations will continue weekly. City Power is trying to recover R1.6 billion owed to the Hursthill Service Delivery Centre.
Pictured above: City Power officials inspecting defaulting customers
Image source: City Power
