Danny’s power bill woes
Wife defends seven-year non-payment as DA sees red
DANNY Jordaan is facing a new headache – this time over the non-payment of electricity for his Port Elizabeth home for the past eight years.
From scrutinising tax returns, his eligibility to vote and being at the centre of the global Fifa bribery scandal, Jordaan now has to explain his non-payment – as new mayor of the metro.
The Herald has received documents which showed that Jordaan had not been billed by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality for electricity usage at his Summerstrand home since 2007.
His power bill woes began in 2007 which his electricity meter at his home burnt out – and was never fixed.
No one in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro appeared to notice that no electricity was being consumed at the home since then.
This, despite the fact that Amat – the company hired to clamp down on illegal connections – reported the problem to the municipality in October last year.
In addition, Jordaan’s wife, Roxanne, who handles the family’s utility accounts, said she had reported the problem to the municipality a number of times over the years.
Municipal spokesman Roland Williams confirmed the meter was reported and that because of the fault, no electricity charges were billed for the property over the period 2007 to 2015.
Roxanne however said a standing debit order which included electricity, water and other municipal charges had been going off their account every month for that period.
“We’re aware that we have not been charged and we reported it to the municipality a number of times over the years.
“Last year again, we reported it. About four months ago, someone from the municipality told the man who works in our garden that the meter is not running.
“We were based in Johannesburg, so we were not at home, but we told the gardener that when they come again they must fix the meter.
“I called the municipality last month again to fix the meter and it was fixed. I asked if it was my problem or the municipality’s and the man said it was the municipality’s problem because the wires at the back of the meter had burnt and the municipality should’ve replaced it,” Roxanne said.
Williams said: “In such cases, when no electricity is charged as a result of a faulty meter, the municipality makes a calculation for the period of no charge, based on a three-month average.
“The calculation also takes into account the various tariff increases over the period in question.
“At the time of responding to you, this calculation was still being made by the municipality. Once this calculation has been made, it will be officially communicated to the customer [Mrs Jordaan].”
But DA caucus leader, councillor Retief Odendaal, said he had seen the account records and was adamant no one had reported the broken meter. — dekockr@timesmedia.