Joburg defends cut-offs

CRACKDOWN: DISCONNECTIONS TARGET THEFT, NOT RESIDENTS - OFFICIAL

- Oratile Mashilo

The City of Joburg has dismissed DA claims that its electricity disconnection strategy amounts to "collective punishment", insisting the measures comply with both the constitution and city bylaws.

Environment and infrastructure services MMC Jack Sekwaila said yesterday the DA's statement on Sunday was "misleading, inaccurate and unfortunate", and failed to recognise the scale of electricity theft and the financial damage it causes City Power.

Sekwaila said City Power does not indiscriminately cut off supply, but targets areas where illegal connections and tampering are rife.

"This is not a blanket disconnection, as suggested," he said.

According to the MMC, electricity is only restored once investigations confirm the cause of outages, the extent of tampering and once networks are normalised.

"It would not only be unlawful and unsafe for the entity to reinstate supply under such abnormal conditions, but it would also be highly reckless," Sekwaila said.

Citing Johannesburg's electricity supply bylaws, Sekwaila said City Power is empowered to act decisively.