Staff Reporter
The City of Johannesburg has stepped up its revenue collection drive, saying on Monday that it will carry out more aggressive and frequent service disconnections against government departments and entities that collectively owe about R1.4 billion in unpaid municipal accounts.
On Friday, the city carried out a large-scale disconnection operation in the Johannesburg CBD in partnership with the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), Group Finance Revenue officials, City Power, and Johannesburg Water, targeting buildings owned by various government departments and entities.
During the operation, the city disconnected water services and removed a water meter at a multi-storey building on Simmonds Street, owned by the Gauteng provincial government’s Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs department.
The property had accumulated debt of more than R677,000.
The disconnection followed a brief stand-off between private security personnel and the city’s disconnection team, which was supported by JMPD.
A few blocks away on Commissioner Street, the city disconnected electricity to a building housing the Gauteng Department of Health and other provincial departments. It said the Health Department had built up a combined municipal debt of more than R200 million.
“The City cannot continue to supply services to government departments and entities without receiving payment. We have obligations to Eskom and Rand Water, and it is incumbent upon all customers — including government — to honour their accounts. Sustainable service delivery depends on consistent revenue collection,” said Lufuno Mashau, acting group head of Joburg’s Revenue Shared Services Centre.
Mashau said no services would be reconnected to affected properties until satisfactory payment arrangements had been made and a portion of the outstanding debt had been settled.
“These disconnections should serve as a clear warning to all government stakeholders. The City is serious about recovering long-outstanding debt. We will not hesitate to extend this action to other departments — including education, public works, and even court facilities — should non-payment persist,” he said.
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