Residents threatens to burn City vehicles if electricity crisis not resolve

Residents of Ward 90 in Soshanguve, Tshwane threatens to burn City of Tshwane vehicles if their electricity crisis is not resolve.

This comes after residents spend their festive season in the dark. Residents of Extension 5, 6, 7, XX, block B1 and B2 said they spend more money buying the prepaid electricity units, but they don’t get anything because all the money is transfer to monthly rent.

Residents’ pickets outside Tshwane House on Monday demand officials to address them and solve the matter.

They held placards and sing and dance.

Residents called on provincial government to rescue them and intervene as municipality failed them.

Speaking to community leader Milton Ntuli told the Tshwane Talks that we are the residents of Extension 5, 6, 7, XX, block B1 and B2 we have a very serious problem with this current government that is leading Tshwane.

We are using prepaid meters and since ANC had introduce these prepaid meters within the residents of Tshwane.

This government in Tshwane is taking advantage of that.

A prepaid meter is when a person buys electricity units and used what they bought but, in this situation, we get nothing even after buying.

This municipality ends up blocking our prepaid meters. Every time we buy electricity units, we get nothing.

“We buy electricity, and we get nothing because they take it to the rent.

We called on Tshwane to come up with the initiative on how they can generate their rent money but by not cutting off electricity,” Ntuli said.

He said we want Tshwane to address the matter as urgency and solve it.

This problem started last year November every time we buy electricity units, we get nothing.

We the residents of ward 90 we are new and started to stay there in 2013. We have been trying by all means and going to their offices and talking to them but no respond.

Our monthly bill runs from R20 000 now and we don’t know how we get there.

“We are pleading with the City of Tshwane to address this matter as urgency. We call on City to stop this thing of theirs,” he said.

Ntuli said residents spend festive season in the dark because they bought electricity units and get nothing and those that can afford, they bought more electricity unit.

Some took out their stokvel money that they share in December and bought more units because they saw the problem and did not want to spend festive season in the dark.

“This problem is affecting us all and if the municipality is failing to resolve this issue.

We don’t want to see a city of Tshwane vehicle in our area and if we see it, we will burn them because they failed to come to us and solve it,” Ntuli said.

He said we demand Tshwane to unblock their meter and if they don’t, we are going to take action resident of ward 90.

We will no longer sit back and relax and said all is well nothing is well.

They must come and fix this mess and if they don’t come, they don’t deserve to be in this office. They must vacate and let other people to lead because they failed us as residents.

“I received R10 000 thousand rand for my stockvel money, but I did not enjoy it at all and half of it went to buying electricity units,” Paulina Mashao.

City of Tshwane spokesperson Selby Bokaba said the City of Tshwane has enforced credit control in a bid to recoup the billions of rand it is owed by defaulting customers. This action entails taking 100% of the money for the purchase of prepaid electricity and channeling it towards the overall debt. The electricity meter is consequently blocked.

“We have also begun disconnecting illegal water and electricity connections.

Consumers have to pay for the services they’ve consumed. Ther city is owed more than R22 billion and owes Eskom R4 billion and Rand Water over R340 million. How will the city function when residents consume services for which they don’t pay,” Bokaba said.

He said the following free basic services are provided to the indigent:

What National standard provides

Water – 6kl

Electricity 50kw

What Tshwane provide

Water – 12kl

Electricity – 100kw

Refuse is 100% free and all homeowners whose property value is R150 000 don’t pay property rates.