A R1.9-million municipal debt owed to the City of Johannesburg by Bosmont Primary School in Randburg has been paid off.
This is according to Kgamanyane Maphologela, the city’s director of communications and stakeholder engagement in the group finance department.
“The City of Johannesburg has recovered R1.9-million from the Gauteng department of education for a longstanding municipal debt that was owed by Bosmont Primary School,” said Maphologela.
“The city, through its aggressive credit control campaign that targets households, businesses, and government departments with ballooning municipal debt, was in July forced to restrict the school’s water supply over its huge debt.
“Prior to the city taking drastic measures to restrict municipal services at the school, the city had, on multiple occasions, engaged the school management over its growing debt to no avail.”
Maphologela warned that the city would not hesitate to cut services to perpetual defaulters and those who did not honour their payment arrangements.
Enforcement tightened
“The city has repeatedly warned perpetual defaulters that their services, which are water and electricity, will be cut effectively should they continue not to pay the city what is due.
“The city has been hard at work intensifying the cut-off operations against those owing and implementing its credit control and debt collection policy.”
He reaffirmed that the city has tightened its enforcement against water and electricity theft because it views the unauthorised connection of services as a serious offence.
“The city calls on all property owners who are struggling to pay their accounts for various reasons to approach the city to avoid being cut off by making arrears payment arrangements.
“We call upon all property owners to come forward before services are terminated at their properties. The city remains open to negotiations for payment arrangements.”
He said customers who wished to make payment arrangements should visit their nearest customer service centres or, alternatively, e-mail creditcontrol@joburg.org.za.
