The Rep 20 April 2018

THE REPRESENTATIVE 20 April 2018 Tel: (045) 839-4040 Emergency: (A/H) 083-272-0955 ° Editorial: sonjar@tisoblackstar.co.za - advertising: charodinev@tisoblackstar.co.za 3
Po w e r
theft big
concer n
ANDISA BONANI
THE Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality
(EMLM) is set to “r e zo n e ” the properties of
people sub-letting their homes to foreign
nationals for business purposes with the
affected municipal accounts to reflect that of an
operating business from June 1.
This was announced by ANC ward councillor
Mncedisi Mbengo last Thursday during a
community meeting at the Mzi Skweyiya Hall in
Mlungisi.
The meeting was held for community
members to express their grievances regarding
service delivery matters and to come up with
ways to assist the municipality in addressing
related challenges.
Addressing members of the community,
Mbengo said the municipality was faced with
the problem of people and businesses stealing
municipal electricity, which had a negative
impact on the local authority and which was
causing an increase in the already heightened
Eskom debt.
“This is a serious issue that is also delaying
service delivery because municipal money has
to be focused on paying the Eskom debt.
“There are many households in the township
which steal electricity and I urge them to come
forward before June 1 to make an arrangement
with the municipality on how they can pay back
what they owe.
“If there are people who cannot pay due to
unemployment or poverty, the municipality has
grants for such people – they just need to come
forward and stop electricity theft.”
Mbengo also indicated that people sub-letting
to foreign nationals to operate businesses on
their domestic properties would have their
homes rezoned by June 1 and would be charged
business rates for services by the municipality.
He said it had been found that it was often
the case that businesses being run from homes
were guilty of stealing electricity and that
transgressors would have to pay.
He said the owners of such houses were
making money and could thus afford to pay for
ser vices.
EMLM mayor Sisisi Tolashe was expected to
attended the meeting where she would address
some of the matters raised by community
members.
During the meeting, Mbengo announced that
Tolashe would not be able to attend due to a
mayoral committee meeting, which prompted a
walkout by a group of residents in protest
against the mayor’s absence.
Community member Lusanda Mahashe said
the municipality did not take them seriously by
not attending the meeting and that people had
attended because they were promised that
Tolashe would be there.
“It is sad that the mayor, who is originally
from this township, will fail to come and listen
to the people. We are not being taken seriously.
The electricity theft issue is major, but since we
are being ignored, we will also ignore the June 1
threat until someone comes to listen to us.
“Some of us pay for services we do not even
get. I do not blame the people for stealing
electricity. We will not ask the municipality to
come and listen to our grievances again, we will
do as we see fit and continue with our way of
l i fe .”
EMLM communications officer Gcobani
Msindwana said the local authority’s council
had a revenue enhancement policy which
stipulated that consumers who stole electricity
or made illegal connections would be
disconnected and their electricity boards taken
away until such time the perpetrator paid the
stipulated fine for reconnection.
“We encourage communities to consult their
respective ward councillors for assistance with
their accounts and also to enquire whether they
qualify to be registered in the municipality's
indigent database. We also urge residents to
refrain from illegally connecting electricity and
come forward with the names of those who are
stealing power.”
Msindwana said customers could visit the
municipal offices in Owen Street in Komani, and
also the offices in Whittlesea, Tarkastad,
Hofmeyr, Molteno and Sterkstroom to check
their account status and to make the necessary
arrangements.