CoJ entities crack down to recover R100 million in arrears

By Thebe Mabanga

City of Johannesburg entities, City Power and Johannesburg Water, will launch a three-day operation from Wednesday to Friday targeting 20 chronic defaulters to recover R100 million in arrears.

The defaulters include commercial and industrial customers owing City Power R41 million and Johannesburg Water R69 million.

“The City of Johannesburg will intensify its revenue collection efforts through a Level 3 Disconnection Drive, targeting defaulting high-consumption customers with long-standing, unpaid and undisputed accounts,” the city said in a statement on Wednesday.

The campaign will be led by the MMC for Finance, Loyiso Masuku, and the MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services (EISD), Jack Sekwaila, leading teams that comprise Revenue Shared Service Centre and Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) among others.

A Level 3 disconnection represents the most severe form of service termination – where the city physically removes a customer’s water or electricity infrastructure, such as meters, cables or