City Power, the Johannesburg power utility, says it will be cracking down on debtors in the Randburg area, the latest focus area of a city-wide blitz.
A spokesman for the utility, Isaac Mangena, said that since October last year, the city had been able to recoup R3.8 billion, but is still owed some R4 billion.
The latest leg of the campaign involved ‘an operation in Randburg’, he said on Friday.
Action was taken against a North Riding shopping centre, which had earlier been issued with a warning. Mangena said that the centre’s electricity had been disconnected and a penalty of R100 000 issued.
Among other actions was the disconnection of supply to a Scientology church, which owed some R877 000, and to a sports club, whose debt stood at over R2 million. A number of residential properties owing large sums were also targeted.
Mangena added: ‘City Power will be issuing penalties to some businesses and residential complexes who have been caught with illegal electricity connections and defaulting accounts.’
[Image: Karelien Kriel from Pixabay]