Futility in trying to contact utilities frustrates

TWICE during the holiday period I had reason to contact City of Johannesburg utilities, being Johannesburg Water and City Power.

The number displayed prominently by the City of Johannesburg for all utilities is 011 375 5555 which, I eventually discovered by visiting Johannesburg Water’s Southdale depot, was out of service during the holiday period.

I eventually managed to obtain the e-mail address of the chief executive of Johannesburg Water, Lungile Dhlamini, to whom I sent two e-mails on December 29.

I also sent an e-mail to Hilgard Matthews of Johan- nesburg Water. An automated reply came back saying that she was on leave from 12pm on December 24, 2015 until December 10, 2016. If Johannesburg Water staff are given 12 months annual leave, is it really surprising that nobody answers a telephone?

The emergency number displayed on all Johannesburg Water vehicles is 011 375 5911. I tried that number many times and was advised that 011 375 5911 was the emergency number for the Ambulance Service, which begs the question: why is it displayed on Johannesburg Water vehicles?

While all this was going on, probably hundreds of thousands of litres of water were gushing down the road, during a period when we were requested to save water. How can we save water if there is no way to contact Johannesburg Water? The same fiasco recurred the following day after the pipe burst again, and again thousands of litres of water literally went down the drain.

On Wednesday, December 30, I had an electrical problem and attempts to contact City Power took on the same farcical elements as trying to contact Johannesburg Water.

Again I found the e-mail address of the chief executive (acting), Mr S Xulu. After two e-mails, I was finally sent a job number, 8002531329, from the customer (non) service department. Since then, nobody has attended to the problem. This is now 11 days after reporting it.

The result of dealing with this “world-class” African city is as follows: no fol- low-up e-mail from either chief executives to ascertain the current state of affairs – perhaps they are both still on leave. I am certain that no one in either utility will be sanctioned for lack of performance. The total cost for telephone calls to these two blighted bodies exceeded R200 and no service was provided.

Why even waste the time and effort in trying to contact the City of Johannesburg utilities? No telephones are answered and no one, including the chief executives, appears to have any interest in doing their jobs.

Thousands of litres of water literally went down the drain

Oakdene