Pretoria - The City of Tshwane yesterday took a firm step to disconnect electricity and water to government departments and commercial properties who have defaulted on their municipal accounts.
Acting city manager Mmaseabata Mutlaneng said the City was owed in excess of R17 billion for services rendered to government departments, embassies, businesses and homeowners.
Water was disconnected at Lyttelton Shopping Centre, where a business was found to owe more than R750 000.
Mutlaneng said they were making sporadic payments, but not committing to paying consistently.
She also disconnected Blue Beacon commercial property in Swartkop, which has SAPS TV as one of its tenants and owes R2.3 million. Some of the notable commercial businesses on the list include the SA State Theatre.
The City has a list of 47 buildings and commercial properties where water and electricity will be disconnected unless owners make payments in the coming days.
Among them is the Department of Infrastructure Development, which owes R260m in rates and services.
Some of the government departments have previously been served with notices and according to the City there are others who have not paid for years.
Mutlaneng said: “Of the R17bn owed to the City, homeowners owe almost R8bn. Businesses owe the City almost R4bn and the rest are between government departments as well as embassies.”
She said the narrative that only homeowners were being switched off was not true. “We have switched off the Deeds Office and SANDF; they only made payments after being switched off. Next in line is a building of the Department of Home Affairs, which has not been paying for services.
“There are more households owing the City than there are government departments and embassies, but once this campaign has been able to reduce their debts we will then be able to follow up on the households.
“The intention is to start putting in prepaid meters because prepaid meters enable you to know in advance how much you have to pay and to plan and budget accordingly.”
Groups of electricians and plumbers were escorted by members of the Tshwane Metro Police Department and senior managers as they split among various buildings in Pretoria, Centurion and other parts of the metro.
Tshwane has criticised Eskom for being in arrears amounting to R635m. Mayor Randall Williams said he had met Eskom to make payment arrangements.
EFF regional chairperson Obakeng Ramabodu said it would request a meeting with Williams to ask why the City was failing to collect enough revenue for water and electricity.
In November last year, City spokesperson Selby Bokaba said that the City was concerned that embassies and government departments owed billions for municipal services and that these were crippling service delivery.
Pretoria News