Defaulting Alexandra businesses targeted by City Power

City Power says it is only receiving 4% of revenue owed by Alexandra in northern Johannesburg.

The entity on Tuesday launched a three-day revenue collection operation, visiting businesses it says have defaulted on payments and removing illegal connections where people have bypassed meters.

The Alexandra Service Delivery Centre is owed R363m, spokesperson Isaac Mangena said.

“Over the next three days we will go after about R36m. These are the customers we have already profiled.”

Mangena said pre-termination notices were sent to customers, some of which are five years in arrears.

The manager of a petrol station said to owe City Power more than R700,000 told the officials he was unaware of the debt as payments were handled by a separate team. “Electricity is paid at the head office and not here,” he said. 

He was advised that the business had a day to pay before it would be cut off.

The team is being escorted by its private security company and Johannesburg metro police officers.

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