Lights go out for Eskom’s offices
Metro continues disconnection blitz, but some businesses say municipality has its wires crossed
The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality continued to pull the plug on electricity defaulters yesterday, leaving Eskom’s offices in Cape Road in darkness.
The latest disconnection blitz targeted 13 businesses owing R5m, with the metro trying to recoup R8.5bn owed.
Defaulters with tampered meters were cut off instantly, while others begged for leniency while trying to get their affairs in order.
Eskom employees were left bemused when their lights were cut off.
Their offices are located at the Old Mutual Building in Cape Road, with the building racking up a debt of R600,000.
The Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union also uses office space in the building.
Delta Property Fund chief executive Siyabonga Mbanjwa said they had been battling to have the bill cleared with the municipality.
“The matter has been ongoing since August last year.
“There has been a misallocation of payments. We tried to rectify it.
“On numerous attempts, we tried to talk to the right people.
“However, it was only after today that we were put in contact with them,” Mbanjwa said.
When municipal officials arrived at Terminators Healthcare Services in Harrower Road, owner Jan Botha was ready with receipts when officials flagged his business for owing R400,000.
After a lengthy discussion between Botha and the metro’s head of billing, Mandla Songwiqi, the lights were kept on.
It was established the billing might have been an error after the wrong meter number was submitted to the municipality
“We have never been in arrears with our account,” Botha said.
“As soon as the bill came, we made a query.
“We have our own water supply and solar panels and have never had a high bill.”
Ellies Electronics, also in North End, could not negotiate its way out of a blackout.
Store manager Grant Davis was surprised at the R104,000 bill.
“The building was sold to MMA Properties [in 2021]. So up to that point, our account was clear.
“We never received an account. Then, suddenly, we got multiple accounts that have never been settled.
“So it has gone from R2,000 to R10,000 in the last four months,” Davis said.
According to Davis, the account was supposed to be transferred to MMA Properties after the sale.
While Davis said they would make a minimum payment to get lights back on, they would lodge a dispute.
When MMA Properties was contacted, a woman who would only identify herself as Kham disputed that the account was ever transferred to the company.
“This was an account reflecting a zero balance when the property was transferred.
“The municipality then raised the charges four months later, but the client did not receive it,” she said.
The South End KWIKSPAR had to shut its doors for an hour after its landlord, Adel Tucker, was informed about an R800,000 arrears bill.
The bill, however, stems from a meter linked to Video Galaxy, which closed up shop years ago, according to a municipal list of accounts in arrears.
The complex went dark when the meter was disconnected, including other businesses.
South End KWIKSPAR owner Mike De St Pern was furious, insisting their account was in credit by at least R180,000.
“They do not even care to get the facts right and now I must fight to get power back on when I was not even in the wrong.
“How can they shut us off when we are in credit, but they do not check that?
“Instead, they check an account for Video Galaxy that does not exist,” De St Pen said.
Tucker said she was equally surprised by the bill.
“When the building was sold in 2020, it was all cleared with nothing outstanding.
“There was no contact from the municipality before, and the SPAR, Automat and petrol station are all up to date with their accounts,” Tucker said.
Municipal debt management and suspension of services division manager Joel Swartz said: “The meter linked to the Video Galaxy account was disconnected.
“In addition, the sale of a property and the issuing of rates clearance requires a minimum payment in line with the Property Rates Act.
“Therefore, there may be additional residual debt.
“The meter that was disconnected registered consumption recently and when disconnected, it was found that the SPAR was affected.
“So, therefore, they must somehow be also using consumption from the meter,” Swartz said.
On the Old Mutual building, Swartz said there was no misallocation of payments.
“They settled their debt in full today and that is why the lights were switched on,” he said.
Songwiqi said yesterday’s drive was aimed at businesses.
“We found a property which had its meter tampered with in Summerstrand and it was immediately switched off.
“We also visited a private residence that has not been paying since 2018; there was also tampering there,” he said.
On the disputes with the businesses, Songwiqi said: “These are all delaying tactics.
“While they receive services from the metro on demand, they are slow to settle accounts.”