Joburg shuts water supply to Leeuwkop prison, among other credit control measures

Johannesburg says it shut down the water supply to Leeuwkop prison on Friday as the facility owes it nearly R10m.

The move was part of the city's intensified credit control drive that included the arrest of business owner who allegedly illegally connected his business to the water and electricity supply.

The Roodepoort man, who runs a glassmaking business, was arrested by JMPD officers at his company in Stormhill on Friday afternoon.

“This was part of a sting operation on businesses which are illegally connected to the city’s services. The establishment owes the city more than R6.4m for water and electricity services,” the city said.

He said the multifaceted credit control drive was led by city manager Floyd Brink, the revenue department, City Power, Joburg Water and the JMPD.

The city warned those who connect illegally to its water and electricity services, or tamper with or vandalise critical infrastructure will face arrest. 

The city’s group CFO, Tebogo Moraka said the city’s debtor’s book is sitting close to R47bn for rates and taxes, sewage, electricity and water which is unsustainable. 

“The credit control operation today is just the start of one of many more operations to come. We are aggressively pursuing those customers who owe us and are not coming forward to settle their growing debt, nor come forward to sign the acknowledgment of debt (AOD) and plead their case. We have no choice but to switch off our services to those not coming forward to pay their arrear debt.”

Moraka said the disconnection of services will also focus on large defaulters and government departments in a bid to recover the outstanding debt. 

According to Moraka, this week the city was hot on the heels of 10 of its worst defaulters, including a hotel, large residential estates and panel beating businesses which collectively owe more than R104m in unpaid services. 

The credit control drive produced the following results:

• Eight meters were found to have been illegally reconnected. 
• The city removed all its water meters from a hotel owing in excess of R28m. 
• An old age home owing R26.6m entered into payment arrangements and paid a 30% deposit of R7.7m with the remainder of the debt payable over three months. 
• Disconnected properties will be handed over to the city’s lawyers for legal action if payment is not received within 72 hours of the cut-off date. 

Moraka advised property owners struggling to service their accounts to approach the city for assistance to avoid disconnection of services. 

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