The City of Johannesburg (CoJ) is accelerating action against its worst defaulters, which may see electricity meters being removed as part of the city’s aggressive credit control initiative under the Project Lokisa banner.

The CoJ has identified more than 1 300 residential customers with a combined municipal debt of R987-million, who have failed to pay their municipal accounts for more than a year.

These customers risk the possibility of losing their electricity meters or other electricity infrastructure such as cables and conductors owing to persistent nonpayment and their failure to come forward and make arrangements with the city.

“All identified customers have already received Level 3 disconnection notices, which informs them of the action the CoJ intends to take as far as the removal of electricity infrastructure at their properties. Should they fail to come forward within the stipulated period, the city will act,” warns CoJ group finance department communications director Kgamanyane Maphologela.

He explains that the city has sent these customers numerous reminders and pre-termination notices and, in some instances, has found that disconnected customers illegally reconnect themselves to municipal services.

After Level 3 disconnection has been implemented at a customer’s property, the customer will have to start a new application process for reconnection to the grid. 

Maphologela urges customers who are behind in payments to immediately settle their outstanding accounts or present themselves at a customer service centre to make payment arrangements, lest the CoJ starts effecting disconnections and legal action.