Elderly Komani Residents Protest Over Electricity

Residents of Komani (formerly Queenstown) marched to the municipal offices on Wednesday to demand that their electricity meters be unblocked. The municipality has blocked the meters until residents settle their municipal debt.

• Residents of Komani marched to the Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality offices on Wednesday to protest about blocked electricity meters.
• Addressing the protesters, Mayor Madoda Papiyana said the meters would not be unblocked until residents had settled their debt.
• Protesters said they had suddenly received huge bills.
• The municipality acknowledged that some people had not been receiving municipal bills regularly.
• The municipality owes R1-billion to Eskom.

Komani residents marched to the municipal offices on Wednesday to protest against electricity cut-offs. But Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality Mayor Madoda Papiyana told residents he would not unblock their electricity meters until they had settled their debts to the municipality.

Residents of Mlungisi, Komani Central and Ezibeleni want the municipality to unblock electricity meters so that they can purchase prepaid electricity. They say they have struggled to buy electricity since the beginning of this year.

They say when they asked for clarity at the municipal offices they were told that their meters had been blocked because they owed money to the municipality and that the meters would only be unblocked once the debt was paid.

Some residents say they were told they owe the municipality more than R50,000.

Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality spokesperson Lonwabo Kowa said the municipality is implementing its credit control policy, which he described as a standard practice across municipalities to ensure rates are paid so that services can be rendered.

Kowa acknowledged that some residents had not received their rates bills which are sent via email or sms. He said the municipality does not have correct details for everyone. Residents had been asked to visit municipal offices to update their details.

He confirmed that similar actions had been taken in various areas of Enoch Mgijima, including Khayelitsha.

He said residents whose meters were blocked could make minimum payments to have services restored and could enter into payment agreements with the municipality.

Indigent households had been registered in line with the municipality’s indigent policy, and qualifying households received relief.

Residents who had missed registration should come forward, he said.

Nomathamsanqa Makhowa, 62, said she had been without electricity for two weeks. She said when she enquired at the municipality, she was told she owes R5,000. “I told them I don’t have R5,000 because I only survive on an old-age grant. I was told to pay at least R500 every month towards the debt,” she said.

Makhowa said she had to borrow R500 from a loan shark. “What the municipality is doing is not fair, and there was no notice. We can’t buy electricity,” she said.

Most people who attended the march were elderly. Some had to hire vehicles because they could not walk far.

Pumelele Ntwana, 67, said she received a bill of more than R200,000 late last year.

“When I went to enquire, I was told to pay at least 10%. As a family, we managed to raise R10,000 and paid it. We cannot pay more because I’m not working and my husband is 74 years old and also not working,” said Ntwana.

The marchers delivered a memorandum to the mayor demanding the immediate unblocking of electricity meters, the suspension of “unlawful credit control”, and the issuing of correct statements.

There was a tense exchange between residents and Papiyana after he questioned whether those attending the march had been sent by others or were representing themselves.

Residents were also angered when he reprimanded one elderly woman, saying she was too forward.

Papiyana said cases would be handled individually. “If your electricity meter number is blocked, you must go to the finance department to find out why,” he said.

Kowa said the municipality is rolling out 35,000 smart electricity meters to improve service delivery and reduce losses. So far, 15,000 meters have been installed.

He said the municipality owes Eskom more than R1-billion.

There were tense exchanges between Mayor Madoda Papiyana and the protesters.

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