The department of public works and infrastructure (DPWI) confirmed it has settled its bill with the Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality.
This comes after the municipality disconnected the electricity supply to the Palm Ridge magistrate’s court due to the department’s nonpayment.
The city indicated that the department owed about R37m for its facilities located within the Ekurhuleni municipality.
“The department has settled the outstanding amount with the City of Ekurhuleni, and electricity is now being restored,” said department spokesperson Lennox Mabaso.
The city’s account department previously sent a notice to the department in October that the municipal account for the court was in arrears for R233,549.
The notice stated that due to noncompliance with the final notice which was sent in September, it had disconnected electricity supply.
City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson Zweli Dlamini confirmed the letter dated in October. He said after disconnection, electricity is only reconnected after the account is paid.
“Disconnection [of the court] is something that happened a couple of weeks ago. We don’t just disconnect.
“Unfortunately when it comes to credit control, you cannot give preferential treatment to anyone because as the municipality we need the money to be able to supply basic services to our people,” he said.
Mabaso said the outstanding amount for municipal services had been paid to the municipality account.
“The department of public works and infrastructure is paying for all services that it is responsible for in the municipality.
“We only know of the R35m. This amount relates to the reconciliation and validation of the rates and taxes schedules that have been sent by municipalities at the beginning of the financial year,” said Mabaso.
In a letter dated November 30, minister Dean Macpherson wrote to Ekurhuleni mayor Doctor Xhakaza urgently requesting the municipality to reconnect all services and halt disconnection to properties for the department’s account.
“The department wishes to inform that its Property Management Trading Entity is experiencing technical system challenges. Because of that, the system was down for two weeks, and all payments were not interfacing to the bank.
“However, the interfacing commenced on November 29 in small batches. There is a backlog of interfacing to the bank,” reads the letter.
He said in the letter that the amount of R35.7m has been processed and is part of the backlog that will interface to the bank in batches in the next three working days and expects the last amount to be paid on December 10.
“We request the city to reconnect all services and halt any planned disconnection because of outstanding payments. We remain committed to pay before December 10 and within 30 days for future invoices,” the letter reads.
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