BLOEMFONTIEN – Centlec, the Mangaung Metro Municipality power distributor is currently conducting comprehensive meter audits, physical asset verification, and infrastructure servicing across its area of supply. This process is ongoing in the Mangaung Metro particularly.
This initiative aims to improve revenue collection, curb electricity theft, and ensure the sustainability of electricity services. This process affects all Centlec customers, both in private and public sectors.
It has been confirmed that some of the defaulting customers are housed in privately owned properties and some are big businesses, while others are shopping centers within Mangaung.
Recently, Centlec has taken legal action against some of the defaulters in an effort to recover over R150 million in debt. Following the ruling by the courts of law in Centlec’s favor, it is in a better position to enforce its debt collection against some of these companies.
This include the favourable judgment handed down by the High Court of South Africa, Free State Division, in Bloemfontein in a bitter dispute involving the trustees of the Michael Family Trust.
The court ruled in favour of the electricity distributor on 27 January, against the trustees represented by Joseph Reynolds Chamley (first applicant), Michael Nicolas Georgiou (second applicant), Andriana Georgiou (third applicant), and Loch Logan Waterfront.
Judge Soma Naidoo handed down the judgment after the matter had been heard on 27 March 2024. The high court dispute involved debt worth R150 million owed by the trustees to Centlec, which, owing to non-payment of outstanding accounts, acted to interrupt the supply of electricity to the Loch Logan Waterfront.
This is not a campaign against anyone, but a continued effort to recover revenue and to ensure proper maintenance of network infrastructure and physical verification of infrastructure. The credit control process happens monthly as per the approved credit control and debt collection policy.
The metro also announced a 60 day general amnesty for consumers with illegal electricity connections. The amnesty is for customers with illegal, tampered with, or moved meter boxes who voluntarily disclose their status.
The entity announced the amnesty aimed at allowing residents in the Mangaung Metro to regularise their accounts without facing immediate penalties or criminal prosecution. It stated this followed a resolution taken by the Mangaung Metro council on 29 January, approving the proposal submitted by the power utility.
Tseliso Leba, acting spokesperson for Centlec, said the initiative was effective from 30 January until the end of April, excluding holidays and weekends.
Also read High court judgement gives power entity the right to recoup more than R150m from business trustee
