Tshwane to go ahead with the #Tshwaneyatima campaign

“This is a priority and is no longer just a campaign but a program of the city that does not have an end date targeting businesses, government departments/institutions, residents, etc”.

The Tshwane municipality on Tuesday reiterated that it will disconnect all customers who owed it for services.

Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said residents should be aware that the municipality was still on track with its plan to deal with non-paying customers.

“Be informed that the city has been and continues to disconnect customers who do not pay for their municipal services regardless of where they are as long as they are within the jurisdiction of the metropolitan municipality,” said Mashigo.

He said the #Tshwaneyatima campaign was no longer a pipe dream but a reality, saying that the project was still ongoing.

“This is a priority and is no longer just a campaign but a programme of the city that does not have an end date targeting businesses, government departments/institutions, residents, etc.”

The municipality’s assurance comes after some of the Mamelodi residents claimed that the municipality was targeting the area for failing to pay their electricity bills.

MAMELODI RESIDENTS CLAIM THE TSHWANE MUNICIPALITY WAS “TARGETING THE AREA”
Thato Moletji told Rekord that a local Sanco member told him that the metro was planning to cut off electricity supply to the area.

“A local Sanco member informed members of the community that the municipality was targeting our area. Some of the community members were surprised as the majority of them were using prepaid meters,” Moletji said.

Residents claimed that the municipality had said the Mamelodi unpaid electricity bill amounted to an estimated R68-million, however, Mashigo dismissed those claims as untrue and lacking substance.

“The amount that you stated attributing it to Mamelodi debt is not true,” he added.

According to the metro, the campaign generated about R800-million in arrear payments last year, adding that it was also aware that the campaign was undermined by illegal reconnections.

During the State of the Capital Address (Soca) last Thursday, mayor Cilliers Brink said his administration would increase revenue collection by reimplementing the Tshwane ya Tima campaign.

Brink said the administration would “perform at least 1 000 credit control disconnections every week and take measures to prevent illegal reconnections” and introduce a three-year plan to reduce the city’s dependence on Eskom.

However, opposition parties in the metro said there was nothing tangible from the Soca, saying there was no clear plan how to address underlying financial issues plaguing the city.