Latest news with #R143
The Citizen
17-07-2025
- The Citizen
City says Craighall pensioners owe R143k for unpaid services, not billing error
For Barrie and Geraldine Brookstone, life in their Craighall home has been anything but peaceful. The retired couple in their 70s say they are being billed for electricity linked to a meter that is not even installed at their property, and they have the documents to prove it. Yet despite their pleas and proof of mismatched meter numbers, they continue to receive letters from City Power threatening disconnection unless they pay a total municipal debt of over R143 000. Barrie claims he has paid around R10 000 a month in recent months to keep the lights on, while mostly living in just one room with his partially paralysed wife. 'They keep saying I owe thousands, but I've paid and paid,' he said. Also read: Elderly Craighall Park couple face R143k City Power bill, for a meter that's not theirs A new prepaid smart meter was eventually installed on July 16 after months of confusion and frustration. City responds with facts and a firm stance. Following the initial article, the City of Johannesburg issued a statement addressing the Brookstones' concerns. According to their records, the R143 000 bill is not just for electricity, but for combined municipal services including property rates, water, sewer and refuse. Kgamanyane Maphologela, director of communications, said, 'The property owners have a long-standing pattern of irregular payments and are classified as part-paying customers.' The city claims the couple have either underpaid or skipped payments altogether over the past four years. The city added that despite repeated opportunities, no formal debt repayment arrangement has been made. As such, the property has been flagged for disconnection under Project Lokisa, a city-wide campaign to target defaulting accounts and illegal connections. Also read: Residents along Louis Botha Avenue furious as City Power fails to fix damaged infrastructure Customers facing financial difficulties are urged to approach the municipality to make formal payment arrangements. Various payment options are available, including debit orders, EasyPay retailers, and online banking. City Power shifts billing responsibilities In a separate statement, City Power announced that as of July 1, it has officially taken over electricity billing from the City of Johannesburg. This shift is aimed at resolving persistent billing issues and restoring trust with residents. City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava said the change is designed to bring greater accuracy and accountability to the process. 'By taking full ownership of the billing function, we are putting customers at the centre of our operations,' she said. Also read: Tips to reduce power usage and stay warm this winter A new city-wide audit of electricity meters is already underway to ensure every household is correctly billed. A dedicated unit has also been created to handle billing queries and speed up resolution times. Residents with queries are encouraged to email [email protected] or call 011 490 7484. For Barrie, who insists the numbers still don't add up, the issue remains deeply personal. 'We just want clarity and fairness,' he said. 'Someone must be held responsible for this mess.' The city says they are open to working with all residents, but payment or at least an arrangement is non-negotiable. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
10-07-2025
- General
- The Citizen
Elderly Craighall Park couple face R143k City Power bill, for a meter that's not theirs
An elderly Craighall Park couple is questioning how they've racked up a R143 806,12 City Power bill – when they barely use electricity and the meter number on their bill doesn't match the actual meter at their home. Barrie (75) and Geraldine (74) Brookstone say they've received several disconnection notices from the city, despite only using electricity in their bedroom and lounge. 'We watch TV at night, keep the geyser on for two hours a day, and the fridge runs. That's all,' said Barrie. Their most recent notice, issued on July 1, shows nearly R100 000 in current usage, a figure they say is impossible given their lifestyle. The couple believes they are being charged for someone else's electricity. 'We've checked, the meter number on the bill and the actual meter at our house are completely different,' said Barrie. Also read: Residents along Louis Botha Avenue furious as City Power fails to fix damaged infrastructure They've already spent about R17 000 trying to replace meters, and at one point, Barrie was told to pay R4 000 into a private account to get help. 'It felt wrong, but I was desperate,' he said. Now, with their home under offer, the unresolved account is holding up the sale. 'We just want to move forward, but we can't until this is sorted,' Barrie said. The Gazette will be contacting City Power for comment and will update the article when a response is received. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
27-06-2025
- Business
- IOL News
R21 billion a month: The true cost of municipal workers
Statistics South Africa's latest financial census reveals that municipalities spent a staggering R143 billion on staff salaries in 2024 Image: Graphics A quarter of all the money spent by municipalities in South Africa last year went towards paying staff, an amounting to R143 billion of overall operating expenditure of R561.1bn. Electricity purchases were the next biggest expense, followed by writing off unpaid debts, according to Statistics South Africa's 2024 financial census of municipalities released this week. In Statistics South Africa's quarterly financial statistics of selected municipalities, also released on Thursday, showed that water sales went up 7.9% in March when compared with a year ago, while sales only increased 0.3%. This could well hint at the sheer volume of water that is lost through burst water pipes. In terms of monthly electricity purchases, these increased 9.9%, with sales gaining 8.5% year-on-year in March. Statistics South Africa's census also showed that South Africa's municipalities secured R576bn in revenue last year, while there was a total of R385.6bn. The data also showed that, by the end of last June, municipalities owed their lenders, suppliers and other creditors a combined amount of R385.8bn, 7.9% more than a year ago. The provinces which showed the highest percentage increases between 2023 and 2024 were: North West (15.9%) Mpumalanga (13.2%) Limpopo (10.8%) The provinces which had the lowest percentage increases between 2023 and 2024 were: Western Cape (2.8%) Eastern Cape (4.1%) Out of the R561.1bn in expenses, the smallest item was paying councillors. According to Payscale, the average salary for a city councillor this year is R294 915 – and there are 9 473 councillors in 213 municipalities. In March 2025, another Statistics South Africa print (quarterly financial statistics of selected municipalities) shows that councillor costs were R967 million for the month of March, while staff costs came in at R21 billion.
Daily Maverick
22-06-2025
- Daily Maverick
ATM hacking accused freed on bail after magistrate's blunder in multimillion-rand case
A man who allegedly made millions in cash by hacking ATMs in the Eastern and Western Cape was released on bail late last week after the Bhisho High Court ruled that the magistrate had made a mistake by not giving reasons for the decision to keep him behind bars. One of the men arrested by the Hawks in March 2025 and linked to a syndicate that has allegedly netted R7-million by hacking ATMs has been released on bail after the court ruled that the magistrate hearing his bail application had made a mistake. Mongameli Tom was arrested with another man near Peddie in the Eastern Cape after the pair allegedly hacked into two ATMs in Mdantsane, Buffalo City. At the time of Tom's arrest the Hawks said that he was also linked to a series of ATM fraud incidents in the Western Cape. Tom has denied any involvement. Tom and the other man were intercepted near Peddie on 17 March 2025 following a multidisciplinary, intelligence-driven operation led by the East London Serious Organised Crime Investigation team. The Hawks explained at the time that the suspects allegedly disguised themselves as cash-in-transit security guards, armed with a rifle, to create the illusion that they were legitimately servicing the ATM. But instead they were using 'jackpot' software to hack into the ATM and take all the money. Tom was arrested by the Hawks on 19 March 2025. On 9 April 2025 he applied for bail but this was refused. He is charged with 51 counts of fraud and 52 counts of theft which were allegedly committed between Cape Town and East London. Four of these offences were committed in the Eastern Cape and two in the magisterial district of Mdantsane, where he appeared in court. In February and March 2025 amounts of R143,500 and R236,900 were taken from two ATMs at two garages in Mdantsane. Tom, from Mitchells Plain in the Western Cape, is the director of two companies, Abakwazidenge Trading (Pty) Ltd and Khundulu Holdings (Pty) Ltd. According to Tom both companies made between R30,000 and R50,000 profit a month but had stopped operating after he was arrested. In an affidavit before court – detailing his personal circumstances – he stated that he had dependent children and had to provide for their needs. Acting Judge Aaron Zono said the magistrate hearing Tom's bail application had not dealt with an affidavit setting out his personal circumstances. Tom has no previous convictions nor pending cases. 'There is not a single reason in the magistrate's judgment why [Tom's] case or version has not been accepted or rejected. We may only assume that it was rejected for the fact that it is not referred to in the judgment,' Zono said. 'In fact, the magistrate's failure to accept or reject appellant's case is rooted in his failure to consider the same. One cannot accept or reject something he has not considered. No balancing act has been made by the magistrate. 'The magistrate did not account for the judgment he gave. He did not analyse the evidence before arriving at his conclusion. He did not explain why the evidence of the accused persons was not accepted and why that evidence did not meet the standard of being reasonably possibly true. He did not even explain on what basis he found that the state had discharged its onus of proof and why its evidence was accepted. 'A judgment without reasons is arbitrary. Equally a judgment that does not account for all the evidence is arbitrary. A judgment without balancing exercise between the two opposing versions or evidence lacks proper analysis and is consequently arbitrary. Zono also said the State had not rebutted evidence presented by Tom, who denies knowledge of any crimes, but only stated that the prosecution's case is strong and Tom's case is weak. He added that the magistrate should have given a reasoned ruling on why bail was refused.
