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The City of Johannesburg will intensify its revenue collection efforts through a Level 3 Disconnection Drive on 22 – 24 October 2025, targeting defaulting high-consumption customers with long-standing, unpaid and undisputed accounts.

The three-day operation forms part of Project Lokisa, the City’s comprehensive reform initiative designed to strengthen debt collection, improve revenue recovery and restore financial discipline across all municipal utilities.

A Level 3 disconnection represents the most severe form of service termination – where the City physically removes a customer’s water or electricity infrastructure, such as meters, cables or conductors. This step is taken only after multiple prior disconnection attempts and customer engagements have failed or where a customer has illegally reconnected services following previous cut-offs.

Once a Level 3 disconnection is affected, the customer ceases to be recognised as an active account holder and must reapply for new service connections, including full payment of arrears and applicable reconnection fees.

The campaign will begin with City Power-led operations on Wednesday, 22 October, followed by Johannesburg Water on Thursday, 23 October. Both days will start with operational briefings at 09:00 at Thuso House, Braamfontein, respectively led by the MMC for Finance, Cllr Loyiso Masuku, and the MMC for Environment and Infrastructure Services (EISD), Cllr Jack Sekwaila, before multidisciplinary teams proceed to targeted sites across the metro. Friday, 24 October 2025 has been allocated for any overflow from the preceding days.

In collaboration with City Power, Johannesburg Water, the Revenue Shared Services Centre (RSSC), Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) and the Group Finance Communications and Stakeholder Management unit, the drive will focus on 20 chronic defaulting accounts – ten each from City Power and Johannesburg Water – representing over R100 million in unpaid municipal debt.

Of this total, City Power’s exposure stands at approximately R41 million, while Johannesburg Water’s portion is around R69 million. These accounts are primarily industrial and commercial consumers with high usage levels, whose continued non-payment severely undermines the City’s ability to deliver reliable and sustainable services to all residents.

This Level 3 operation builds on the success of Project Lokisa, launched earlier this year to entrench a transparent, data-driven and equitable approach to revenue management. The initiative ensures that the City’s billing, collection and credit control processes are fully aligned with the Municipal Systems Act (32 of 2000) and the Municipal Finance Management Act (56 of 2003).

“The City cannot continue to subsidise persistent defaulters at the expense of honest ratepayers,” said Cllr Loyiso Masuku, Member of the Mayoral Committee for Finance. “Project Lokisa is about restoring financial discipline, enforcing accountability, and creating a culture of payment that secures Johannesburg’s future and ensures service delivery for all.”

In future, a summons will be issued should illegal connections be discovered on properties. This will include criminal charges against the defaulting customers.

Payment Options and Debt Arrangements

The City urges all customers with outstanding balances to make immediate payment to avoid service disconnections. Customers who are unable to pay their full balance at once are encouraged to make a payment arrangement by signing an Acknowledgement of Debt (AOD) agreement.

A payment plan can be structured for up to 36 months, with longer terms of up to 60 months available for pensioners and indigent residents registered on the Expanded Social Package (ESP).

Customers can settle their accounts or make arrangements using the following options:

• Pay in full: Immediate payment will prevent service disconnection.
• Negotiate a payment arrangement: Sign an AOD agreement to pay in affordable monthly instalments. Failure to comply may result in disconnection.
• Call Centre: Contact 0860 JOBURG (562 874) for information on how to make a payment plan or for account support.
• Visit a Customer Service Centre: Go in person to your nearest regional office (details below) to finalise your payment arrangement.
• Online services: Use the e-Joburg portal (www.e-joburg.org.za) to interact with the City, register and make payments.
• Retail outlets: Pay at EasyPay partners such as Pick n Pay and Shoprite Checkers (note that payments may take a few days to reflect).
• Debit order or ATM: Submit a debit order form at any Customer Service Centre or link your municipal account to your bank for ATM payments.

Through these accessible payment options and the AOD process, the City continues to provide residents and businesses with fair and flexible mechanisms to manage their municipal debt and prevent service interruptions. It is important that all customers keep their contact and account details up-to-date when interacting with the City to ensure they receive notices, statements and important service information without delay.

This focused disconnection drive underscores the City’s zero-tolerance stance on non-payment, and reaffirms its commitment to strengthening financial sustainability, good governance and responsible service delivery across Johannesburg.

City of Johannesburg Category A Regional Customer Service Centres

Issued by the City of Johannesburg