By Sihle Mavuso
The Msunduzi municipality cut power to the KwaZulu-Natal health department’s Natalia building headquarters in Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday.
Scrolla.Africa learnt that the municipality decided to cut off the power supply because it was owed millions by one of the largest government hospitals in Pietermaritzburg. The department is led by the returning MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Mngadi.
Several letters pleading with the department to pay the bill on behalf of the hospital fell on deaf ears. However, the financially struggling municipality could not cut off the supply to the hospital because it provides essential services.
“A plan was hatched to force the department to pay,” a source told Scrolla.Africa. “The municipality cut off the supply to the Natalia building instead of the hospital, where lives would be at risk.
“On Wednesday around noon, staff from Msunduzi came to the offices and cut off the supply and plunged the whole building into darkness.”
The department was forced to quickly pay up as the power cut also affected other departments housed in the same building.
Municipality spokesperson Ntobeko Mkhize confirmed that the department has since settled the bill that caused the disconnection.
“Departments such as the department of health, including the hospital, have made payments. The campaign will continue to ensure that the credit control and debt collection policy is enforced,” Mkhize said.
KZN health department spokesperson Ntokozo Maphisa said: “We would like to state categorically that the department does not owe the municipality any [money for] electricity bills.”
Pictured above: MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Mngadi, whose department headquarters was disconnected on Wednesday.
Source: Supplied
