CITY POWER CONTINUES ITS CUT-OFF OPERATIONS IN LENASIA

Written by: Rhulani Mahwayi

City Power continued with its intensified revenue collection from customers owing millions of rands to the city.

The Power Utility carried out its revenue collection drive on high defaulting businesses and Large Power Users in Lenasia Service Delivery Centre areas on Thursday morning.

This operation formed part of the utility’s efforts to retrieve outstanding debts in the area which totals over R16 million.

In a statement released by City Power, spokesperson Isaac Mangena said he hoped this sends a strong message to customers who are still owing the city.

“This is to send a strong message to non-paying and defaulting customers to pay their debt or have their power supply disconnected,” said Mangena.

Lenasia General manager Nelson Ravuku said that they have carried out these operations in 6 sites in the area.

“There is one also that we have discovered that has installed illegal mini substation from City Power, so that is the first place that we are going to visit today so that we remove and disconnect that mini substation,” said Ravuku.

The business owner was found to have in his premises an 11KV mini-substation which disappeared from the power utility’s premises in Booysens in 2014.

City power said records showed that at the time, four mini substations were procured, however, one disappeared without a trace.

The man was taken to the Lenasia South Police Station where charges of theft and tampering with electricity infrastructure will be laid.

Mangena has  since called on businesses in the area to approach the utility to arrange for service agreements.

“Failure to approach City Power when the business is in arrears will result in more adverse actions as the utility will not relent in its pursuit to get customers to pay for services they consume.” said the utility’s spokesperson.