Churches, businesses watch in dismay as power disconnected

Churches and businesses were among properties disconnected by City Power as the government entity tries to recoup more than R363m it is owed in Alexandra. 

Electricity was cut off in Wynberg’s two popular churches as City Power went on a drive disconnecting customers who are not paying for their electricity and those illegally connected to the grid.

Winners’ Chapel along First Street was the first to be disconnected by technicians who walked around with a laptop containing data with defaulting customers.

Backed by Johannesburg metro police, officials went from one business to another with a printed document which showed how much each entity owed the municipality.

Officials entered the Winners Chapel and found one of the leaders and they informed him that church owed R740,000. The technicians were asked to wait for the church's accountant to produce proof of payment.

However, the technicians would hear none of it and proceeded to cut the electricity supply. Church members, who had called the accountant, declined to speak to journalists.

Just as technicians walked out, they spotted cables running from a transformer to The Revelation Spiritual Home across the road. After going into the property, they discovered that the church was illegally connected. It was immediately cut off.

Church members watched as technicians dug out illegal cables on the driveway.

“This is no ordinary church. We can speak a word and you will roll with your car,” one of the church members threatened journalists.

City Power officials spotted a residential property which was also illegally connected. It's power supply was also cut off.

Spokesperson Isaac Mangena said: “It was the first day of the campaign, we still have two more days to go but we are also going to do this monthly in all our service delivery centres. We’ve got R4bn that is owed to City Power. We’ve got to make sure we get each and every cent as we are under pressure in terms of our finances. We need that money for the maintenance of our infrastructure, we need to use that money for buying equipment that is being damaged by load shedding.”

City Power, wants to recover R36m (10%) from non-paying customers over the three-day operation.

The very first customer to be cut off was Ashur Properties, a business that produces outdoor lighting and electronics in Kewe near Wynberg. They owe more than R2m.

Sylvester Joseph, a manager at the company, disputed that the company owes the municipality that much.

“They were billing us for a meter that wasn’t on this property. We’ve had numerous meetings with the City of Johannesburg over the last three years, the issue is not resolved,” Joseph said.

But the officials showed him the amount owed and that it is linked to the meter belonging to his business and went on to cut off electricity.

“This is bad news for my employees. They won't have any jobs…,” Joseph said as he watched technicians take out pieces of cables from his business.

City Power also went to the Central Johannesburg College to disconnect electricity there but found that the mini-substation had been vandalised and the school had no power.

Officials of the school came out and produced proof that they had paid over R900,000 debt just a day before.

dlaminip@sowetan.co.za