City Power disconnects five hijacked Johannesburg buildings over R5m debt
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The City of Johannesburg utility cut electricity to five hijacked buildings in Doornfontein as it targets about 108 bad buildings in the inner city that owe roughly R115 million.
City Power disconnected five hijacked buildings in Doornfontein, Johannesburg, on Wednesday as the municipal utility intensified action against illegally occupied properties in the inner city.
The five buildings collectively owe close to R5 million, with one building owing about R2 million, City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena said. The utility has identified about 108 bad buildings across the inner city, which together owe about R115 million.
Mangena said the ongoing disconnections are not only about recovering money but also about addressing safety concerns in buildings with illegal electricity connections. City Power says it has been losing about R18 billion annually through electricity theft and money owed to the utility.
The utility said it does not immediately disconnect properties that fall into arrears, issuing about three pre-termination notices before acting. However, officials often find that the buildings have been hijacked and that people have already moved in, sometimes building makeshift structures inside and connecting themselves illegally to the electricity supply.
City Power is working with other City of Johannesburg departments, including the Johannesburg metro police department and building control, to deal with the buildings, and wants properties that do not meet building and safety requirements to eventually be declared unliveable. Where no owner comes forward, it has started removing its infrastructure, including mini-substations, feeder boards and cables, from some properties.