The City of Johannesburg’s MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services, Cllr Mpho Moerane, has warned businesses against defaulting on paying for services.
Several businesses in Kliptown, including the Walter Sisulu Square, had their electricity cut this week during the #KleenaJoburg Reloaded Campaign after they were found to have bridged electricity meters, among other transgressions.
MMC Moerane has vowed to intensify the crackdown on businesses that do not buy electricity and water. The businesses that were targeted included the Soweto Chefs Academy, Roots Butchery and several furniture and grocery shops in the area.
Most were found without electricity metres or with bypassed metres. It’s suspected that they have not paid for electricity for at least five years, robbing the City of millions of rand in much-needed revenue.
The other businesses supplied by Eskom across the road in Pimville had used a cable to illegally connect electricity from the City Power substation across the road. Most were disconnected.
#KleenaJoburg Reloaded campaign is held weekly, focusing on clearing illegal dumping, collecting waste, illegal connections, cleaning streets, sidewalks, fixing water leakages, repairing road surfaces, unblocking drainage systems, enforcing adherence to the by-laws, cutting grass, planting trees and fixing streetlights.
The businesses whose electricity was disconnected on Monday will be forced to pay a reconnection penalty, at least half of the money estimated to be owing, and agree to a payment arrangement before they can be reconnected.
For more information contact:
Stan Itshegetseng
Deputy Director: Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Office of the MMC – EISD
Cell: 0837024778
