Container traders in the dark
Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality’s campaign to curb illegal electricity connections, which have cost the authority about R79m, as well as its efforts to enhance revenue collection, has its challenges.
On Wednesday and Thursday, some of the container traders who claimed to have been disconnected despite having paid the municipality for electricity, protested outside the technical services department offices demanding to be reconnected.
The municipality has installed electricity meter boxes in the containers.
But the municipal political heads said some of the disconnections had resulted from landlords that rented containers to traders having allegedly stolen their [the traders’] electricity.
Street vendors who also visited the offices said their goods were confiscated from Cathcart Road and that officials who removed them had demanded signed permits that
the municipality had never issued to them.
Independent South African National Civic Organisation (Isanco) representatives and traders, who claim to have been without electricity for three weeks, blocked the gate to the technical services department offices at 6am, preventing EMLM employees from entering.
They demanded that officials address them.
After a lengthy period of waiting, all EMLM political heads finally addressed the crowd, except for integrated planning economic development head Sibusiso Mvana.
Isanco secretary Axolile Masiza asked when people who were wrongly disconnected would be reconnected.
Masiza added he was glad councillor Ongama Adonis wanted another meeting to discuss the land issue.
“I am not sure about the basis of this initiative as it seems to be focused on electricity, but there is a serious land issue in Komani. There are people who are not here who are operating the same businesses near the prison area.
“They could not get space around the CBD. We need to address these issues.
“We are not fighting you and we are not here for a political agenda. We are here because we want to assist the government that is leading us. But we will not tolerate people being taken for granted in the process,” Masiza said.
Isanco chair Solomzi Ntabeni wanted to know why hardware stores were able to operate in the area, while they had to wait for meetings.
He said there were other traders operating from containers who were not disconnected but were getting power illegally.
One of the traders said his goods were confiscated and his customers who were expecting their items were upset with him.
Another trader, who runs a tyre business from a container, said: “Our businesses are in jeopardy because we are not working and taking care of our families. I have four children and a wife who are dependent on my business. I have not paid my rent because of the terminated electricity.”
Another trader, Tabisa, who runs a hair salon, said she could not operate her business without electricity.
“My power was disconnected. I am relying on someone else’s salon that is using a generator and I have to pay petrol to be able to work.
“If the customer pays me R100 and I have to pay for petrol, I have no gain in my business. I have to use a dryer and I need to have hot water. I have to take care of my child and pay rent.”
Another trader, who is a welder, said: “My clients are calling me a crook for not doing the work I was supposed to do for them. We were not warned before the power termination.
“They were supposed to call first and inform us first and give us reasons as to why they were going to be cutting off our electricity.”
Another unidentified trader, who had sold fruit in Cathcart Road, said after being forced to leave the area last month, three boxes of fruit that she had paid for became rotten.
“I could not sell, they came to say I should take my things and leave and that I could no longer operate there.
“Mzileni comes and says ‘I do not want you here’ but does not give you direction on where you should go.”
Corporate services portfolio head Papama Madubedube said the matter would be discussed at the mayoral committee meeting set for Tuesday.
Madubedube said if traders wanted a peaceful arrangement with the municipality they would have to agree to certain terms and conditions.
He said there were issues that the local economic department portfolio head, Sibusiso Mvana, would have to deal with and that he would be informed by the mayor, Thembeka Buni, in the meeting.
EMLM budget and treasury head Unathi Galada, who acknowledged the traders’ pain, told them to write down their names for their cases to be attended to.
“We want a municipality that has law and order. The municipality has lost about R79m in electricity and you know people are stealing electricity.
“Some of the municipal officials were involved in connecting you with electricity, we know that.”
He called Isanco leaders to also assist the municipality in the campaign.
He said it could be that EMLM officials who were accused of removing hawkers had acted after traders had refused to comply.
“You might say officials acted wrong but it could be that they were warning you for a long time and you were not willing to co-operate with them.
“I am not sure but we need to get their side of the story,” he said.
He said people operating hardware stores on the main street were not allowed to, even if the municipality did not own the buildings they operated in.
“I am leading this campaign. We must be able to work together, people must stop stealing electricity.
“We know people are stealing electricity from working municipal officials. People must not think that we are not smart, we are also clever.”
He said the municipality wanted to work with hawkers and traders to come up with solutions.
He said he considered the matter as urgent.
Madubedube said the municipality was aware that some landlords were allegedly stealing electricity, while making traders pay thousands.
He urged traders to report illegal connections, and that they could do so anonymously.
“You cannot be leasing containers with people who do not have a relationship with the municipality because the municipality is in business to collect revenue. The legislation protects it in that regard. Before we can confiscate merchandise, we need to have proper storage areas.”
He said traders could not receive permits without being on the municipality’s database and that if businesses were not legitimate and registered, the municipality would not recognise them.
EMLM human settlement portfolio head Ongama Adonis said he would find out whether the company that leased containers to traders in town had an agreement with the municipality.
“I will check how far along is the issue of lease agreements and why they are not signed. The municipality is highly legislated. We do not do things our way.
“You cannot wake up and operate anywhere you want. The municipality wants to use Cathcart Road to attract investors. When we sit together we inform you about the areas containers and hawkers can be able to do business in. We are planning to establish a land management committee where you will be represented.”
Technical services portfolio head Mhlangabezi Mangcotywa said the department’s employees who were doing illegal connections should be named and shamed by the community.
“Not everyone does this, but the rotten potatoes must be dealt with.
“The municipal campaign to disconnect illegal connections is still continuing. We will do it until the town is clean. Illegal connections are eating away at the municipal purse, which is not able to give services to the community because of the people stealing power. We should not be ashamed to say that to you.”
He called for people who loved Komani to assist EMLM in the campaign.
Traders and hawkers attended the meeting scheduled for Tuesday but the municipal officials were a no-show.
On Thursday, before going to print, Isanco and traders were back protesting at the technical services department demanding attention from top municipal officials.
You might say officials acted wrong but it could be that they were warning you for a long time and you were not willing to cooperate with them. I am not sure but we need to get their side of the story