Pietermaritzburg in the dark as municipality seeks to recoup R5.5bn debt

Several government departments in Pietermaritzburg are among a swathe of institutions that have had their power disconnected as the Msunduzi municipality seeks to recover R5.5bn in unpaid bills.

The city’s home affairs office, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), a hospital, high schools, a police station, and the museum are among various entities without electricity after the municipality launched Operation Qoqama-Million in a bid to secure payment.

Two high schools, which owe a combined R3.6m, had their power shut off — at the start of their matric trial exams on Monday. The NPA owes R1m and the Plessislaer police station owes more than R3m.

The local museum owes R600,000, which its management “is processing 50% immediately upon disconnection of electricity”, the municipality said on its Facebook page.

“Home affairs was disconnected on Friday and 11kV switch gear supplying the building was locked.”

The municipality said on Monday it found the department had been “illegally connected” and removed a cable supplying electricity to the transformer.

In a letter addressed to acting city manager Nelisiwe Ngcobo on Monday, the provincial public works department gave an undertaking that outstanding payments of government entities would be paid before the end of September.

The department urged the municipality to “reconnect the electricity at various provincial facilities as this had a negative impact on service delivery to the people of KZN, including the learning environment for schoolchildren”.

Ngcobo said the operation was also targeting residents in arrears.

“We are urging all government departments to ensure their bills are updated because we are not prepared to negotiate once we arrive [to disconnect the power],” Ngcobo said. “We wish to warn all consumers the municipality is also preparing to implement load reduction in townships.

“Our priority is those consumers who are owing us rates. We cannot have the challenge in terms of cash flow. We have people owing us rates for an amount of about R1.2bn, so we want to recover as much as possible,” she added

Nonpayment of municipal accounts and “the scourge of illegal electricity and water connections have been an ongoing challenge which cost the city millions”, Ngcobo said.

“We are mindful that there will be resistance. However, we are working with law enforcement. We will treat all consumers in a manner that is respectful, decent and fair.

“The total outstanding debt is sitting at R5.5bn. This is not a sustainable financial situation. The teams are therefore going around the length and breadth of the municipality disconnecting services in compliance with the municipality’s credit control and debt collection policy.”

Ngcobo warned the city would lay criminal charges against customers found to have illegal connections.

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