It’s 17 years – and counting – for payment

FOR the past 17 years, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality has failed to pay court costs due to a New Brighton resident who was accused of tampering with his electricity meter.

The dispute stemmed from a R7 250 electricity bill Wandile Mazibuko, 66, received in June 1997.

He took the matter to the Port Elizabeth High Court and spent R50 000 on legal representatives. In September 1997, acting Judge Dumile Kondile ordered the municipality to pay the costs of Mazibuko’s urgent application.

“They [the municipality] have blatantly disregarded the court order,” he said.

Asked for comment, municipal spokesman Kupido Baron said: “It is best the legal representatives of Mazibuko get in touch with our legal services directorate.”

It all started when Mazibuko, who lived with his late wife in their one-bedroom house, received an R818 bill for electricity in June 1997.

“I decided to pay R750 while the investigation into tampering was still pending,” he said.

A month later, he received the second bill for R7 250.

When he queried the account, he was accused of tampering with his electricity meter and his power was cut.

It was at this stage that Maz- ibuko approached the court.

According to the 17-year-old court order, the matter was removed from the roll by mutual agreement and the judge ordered the municipality to pay the costs of the application.

Mazibuko said he decided to bring the matter up now because he was embroiled in another dispute with the municipality. This time the argument is centred around a water leak from pipes under his house.