Pretoria - The City of Tshwane yesterday escalated its crackdown on non-paying businesses and entities, squeezing errant clients including the buildings that house the SAPS headquarters, South African Revenue Service (Sars) and Hatfield Gautrain Station, by disconnecting their water and electricity.
Acting city manager Mmaseabata Mutlaneng and her team, escorted by metro police, led the charge despite threats of litigation.
Joined by teams of plumbers and electricians, they targeted rates and services debtors blamed for the R17 billion in uncollected revenue.
These included the SAPS building in the Pretoria CBD, which is R5.2 million in arrears.
Gautrain’s offices in Hatfield, whose unpaid bill stands at more than R10m, was next. According to the City, Gautrain last paid in 2020. However, operations continued at the Gautrain offices, using a generator, which kicked in immediately.
In a statement, the Gautrain Management Agency claimed the disconnection was illegal. It denied its account was in arrears and disputed the amount of money owed.
“This afternoon (Tuesday) the City cut off electricity supply to the station. The Hatfield Gautrain station has a pre-paid electricity meter and the account is not only up to date, but is in fact in credit to the value of approximately R120 000. The water account is similarly, up to date.
“We have been trying without success to contact the City to provide proof of the debt it claims it is owed. Last night, the City shared a screengrab with us which reflects an account number that differs to the account number reflected on the notice to terminate services. The City has therefore illegally cut off services to the station,” the statement said.
It threatened to approach the court “to urgently interdict the City to restore services to the station given its wrongful termination of services to Hatfield station.”
Also at the receiving end of the city’s aggressive campaign was Mutlaneng Sinoville Shopping Centre. Here, business tenants as well as public service offices such as the SAPS and metro police were plunged into darkness.
The property’s owners owed Tshwane R16m. The management sought to immediately make arrangements to have their electricity reconnected.
One affected client, PostNet owner Ricky Neil, immediately had to resort to using a generator. She said that meant she could not service customers who came to renew vehicle discs, among others.
Neil and a butcher owner, who asked to remain anonymous, said they were surprised because as tenants they paid the landlord for rates, water and electricity. The butchery owner had just received bulk stock and was worried about the meat spoiling.
City spokesperson Selby Bokaba said the City has established that even though there were many government departments, businesses and State-owned enterprises that were disconnected, it was actually their landlords who owed the City.
Not even taxi ranks were spared. In the CBD, taxi drivers stared in shock as City officials disconnected Bloed Street Mall for owing R1.2m.
However, some businesses made spot payments to keep their water and lights on. They included the Independent Development Trust, which made an immediate payment of R4.3m towards its R8m debt.
Pretoria News