By Thapelo Molefe
The City of Johannesburg has announced that it will remove electricity meters from more than 1,300 households that have defaulted on their municipal accounts, collectively owing nearly R1 billion.
The move forms part of the City’s credit control programme, Project Lokisa, which targets persistent defaulters who have not paid their accounts for over a year.
According to the City, the identified customers owe R978 million and face the removal of all electricity infrastructure, including meters, unless they make urgent payment arrangements.
“All identified customers have already received level 3 disconnection notices, which inform them of the action the City intends to take,” said Kgamanyane Maphologela, Director of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement in the Group Finance Department on Wednesday.
“Should they fail to come forward within the stipulated period, the City will act.”
Level 3 disconnection represents the most severe stage of enforcement. It follows repeated pre-termination notices, reminders, and service cut-offs, after which many customers allegedly reconnected themselves illegally.
At this stage, the City may remove infrastructure such as cables, conductors, and meters. Defaulters who want to reconnect will be required to undergo a fresh application process for municipal electricity services.
Maphologela said the action was unavoidable given the long-standing refusal by some residents to pay.
“The City would have, amongst others, sent numerous notices and disconnected services, only for customers to illegally reconnect themselves. We are left with no choice but to escalate,” he explained.
He urged those with arrears to immediately settle their accounts or visit any City customer service centre to make payment arrangements, warning that failure to do so could result in permanent disconnection and possible legal action.
The City has not yet specified when the removals will begin but confirmed that the process would target only the most serious defaulters.
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