City Power slams Alexandra councillors for unpaid bills while urging residents to pay, as staff and councillor debt hits R74.2 million.
City of Joburg councillors owe R2 million in total on their municipal accounts, yet the city refuses to name them, citing privacy laws.
They are not the only ones with outstanding municipal debt. According to the city’s third-quarter report, published on 31 March, the debt outstanding for staff and councillors amounts to R74.2 million.
City Power slams councillors for unpaid bills
The debt issue came into focus this month when City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena publicly criticised councillors in Alexandra for failing to pay for electricity, while urging residents to do so.
Speaking during a business customers’ engagement session in Alexandra, Mangena did not mince his words.
He revealed that out of seven, only one councillor in Alexandra had their account up to date.
“One of the issues we want councillors to assist with is revenue collection to ensure residents are actually buying their electricity,” he said.
“But you cannot have councillors preaching payment when they are not practising it.”
Mangena went further, warning that councillors who were not paying would face disconnection.
Mangena warns of disconnections
“We know them, we know their addresses, and that is why we are going to ensure they are disconnected. When we say practise what we preach, we mean it,” he said.
City Power is in deep financial trouble. It has an overdraft of nearly R20 billion and spends more on buying electricity from Eskom every month than it collects in revenue. It also loses about 30% of the electricity it buys.
Last week, City of Joburg top officials, including mayor Dada Morero, his deputy Loyiso Masuku and city manager Floyd Brink, appeared before parliament’s standing committee on public accounts.
At that meeting, the city’s chief financial officer Tebogo Moraka revealed that councillors collectively owed the municipality about R2 million.
“We have identified current and former councillors with outstanding municipal accounts amounting to about R2 million,” said Moraka.
“The city is actively pursuing the recovery of these funds through its credit control and debt collection processes.
R2 million councillor debt
“Councillors are not exempt from the city’s policies and, as public representatives, are expected to lead by example by ensuring that their municipal accounts are up to date.”
The disclosure comes as the city intensifies debt collection efforts against residents, businesses and government entities to improve revenue collection and stabilise municipal finances.
City Power has clarified that only a portion of the debt relates directly to councillors whose electricity is supplied by the municipal utility.
Director of communications and stakeholder management Kgamanyane Maphologela said there were currently 15 councillor accounts supplied by City Power in arrears. Those accounts owe a combined amount of R657 000.
However, officials stressed that the amount did not represent electricity debt alone.
“The total debt owed for the 15 accounts is R657 779, which is inclusive of other services such as water, property rates, refuse and sewer charges,” Maphologela said.
15 City Power accounts owing R657 000 for electricity, water and rates
He added that 31 councillors received electricity directly from Eskom, while another 33 were on prepaid City Power systems.
City Power said the councillors with arrears were actively paying off their debt.
Of the 15 accounts in arrears, six were subject to formal payment arrangements, three were being settled through salary deductions while six were making direct monthly payments.
The revelation nevertheless raises questions about accountability at a time when Johannesburg is aggressively pursuing residents who have fallen behind on municipal payments.
The city has repeatedly stressed that non-payment threatens service delivery and undermines its ability to maintain infrastructure, repair faults and meet financial obligations.
City Power has also launched numerous campaigns against illegal electricity connections and electricity theft, particularly in high-density areas where revenue losses remain significant.
No special treatment
City Power maintains that public representatives receive no special treatment.
Where councillors fail to enter into payment arrangements or keep up with repayments, the city said standard credit control measures were applied.
These include salary deductions, payment arrangements, reports to the office of the speaker and, where necessary, disconnection procedures.
Asked whether the identities of indebted councillors would be disclosed, the utility cited the Protection of Personal Information Act.
“The city subscribes to the Protection of Personal Information Act. Councillors report to the speaker of council in the City of Joburg,” he said.