City Power officials hit the road on Thursday visiting defaulting customers across Johannesburg who owe the entity billions of rands.
Among the places visited were the Helen Joseph Hospital and the Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital.
Collectively, the health facilities owe City Power more than R30-million.
The visits were an extension of City Power’s cut-off operation that hit various areas under the Hursthill service delivery centre this week.
City Power’s Isaac Mangena said Helen Joseph Hospital debt is over R23-million while Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital owes the entity more than R7-million.
A group of city power officials served the executives of the two health facilities with pre-termination notices.
The executives at the hospitals are said to have told City Power officials that they have already started with a process of clearing their debts.
The power utility made it clear to the hospitals that failure to pay in the next two weeks will result in immediate electricity cut-offs.
“City Power is concerned with the levels of non-payment from government institutions,” said Mangena.
“Government properties across the city owe over half a billion rands. We will be clamping down on these defaulters, as we intensify our revenue-collection drive.”
Mangena confirmed that more than R1.3-billion is owed to the power utility.
“Today we were targeting 10 business and residential customers owing millions of rands in unpaid electricity bills.
“Some of the businesses that were disconnected during the operation is Telkom, which owes City Power over R2.9-million.
“It is shocking that the company has not made any payment for its electricity bill since 2021. Another business that was cut off is Ancient Oak Trade and Invest, which operates a a pub in Melville owing over R1-million.”
Mangena said the business in Melville was caught off-guard for illegally reconnecting power supply on a few occasions.
“As a result of that, hefty penalties will be imposed before it is reconnected,” he said.
“Less than an hour after we cut-off supply, the owner of the business contacted City Power
admitting that she failed to pay.
“She has agreed to settle the debt on the account and pay a fine for illegal reconnections.”
Mangena issued a stern warning, stating that the operation seeks to remind other customers to settle their bills before an unpleasant visit by City Power officials.
He added that weekly cut-off operations across the city are aimed at nabbing the defaulters and sending a message that the power utility will not tolerate non-payment.
