The Mthonjaneni local municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal has cut power supply to the Melmoth police station and the magistrate’s court building a few metres away in order to recoup R4.6-million owed for electricity and rates.
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) run municipality took the drastic step on Monday, leaving officials of the buildings scrambling on how to secure the prisoners held within the facilities.
The decision was taken after the national Department of Public Works and Infrastructure ignored several reminders to pay.
Breached acknowledgement of debt
According to a batch of correspondence, the department also breached an acknowledgement of debt and undertaking to pay the debt that was accumulated over many months.
Late last week, the municipality wrote the final letter to the department. It was asking it to pay or else on Monday it would be disconnected. When the letter was ignored, the power was cut off, disrupting operations.
“This letter serves as a disconnection notice to the National Department of Public Works for the outstanding payment of rates accounts for premises belonging to your department. We extend to you 14 working days’ notice to settle this amount. Failing which the municipality will disconnect electricity services to Melmoth SAPS and the Department of Justice offices,” reads one of the letters sent to the department by the municipality.
Spokesperson of the department, Lennox Mabaso, said the municipality made an error. He said the municipality erroneously disconnected the court due to arrears of other properties under the DPWI.
Court says its bill is up to date
He added the court account itself is up to date and not in arrears.
“The matter related to property rates for a list of 65 properties that were transferred from Provincial Works to National. The municipality claims the balance owing is R4.6m. We have been engaged with the verification of the properties together with the municipal officials. To date, 35 have been verified. The invoices amounting to R1.2-million have been processed. And the remittances have been sent to the municipality. The municipality has disconnected the police station and court, which are not related to the properties in question,” Mabaso said.
