TEMBISA OWES EKURHULENI R1,6 BILLION

TEMBISA — The City of Ekurhuleni says Tembisa owes the municipality about R1.6 billion in outstanding municipal debt, as calm returns following Monday’s protest over electricity disconnections in Tembisa.

Residents earlier barricaded roads with burning tyres and debris, protesting against the City’s intensified credit-control campaign.

Some community members complained that even registered indigent and deemed-indigent households had received electricity disconnection notices.

The protest disrupted traffic across parts of the township before eventually being suspended following engagement between the municipality and community leaders.

According to Ekurhuleni MMC for Finance and Strategy, Jongizizwe Dlabathi, the municipality’s ability to deliver services depends on residents paying for basic municipal services.

These services include water, sanitation, electricity and waste collection.

“If people don’t contribute towards the payment of services, how do you sustain the provision of the same services that they expect?” Dlabathi said.

He explained that while many residents in Tembisa do pay for services, the township still has a significant amount of outstanding debt owed to the municipality.

“Tembisa does pay, but on the same note, Tembisa does have debts that are due to the city. The consolidated debt amount owed by Tembisa is R1.6 billion,” he said.

The Executive Mayor of Ekurhuleni, Alderman Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, welcomed the decision by community stakeholders to suspend the protest, describing it as an important step toward restoring stability in the township.

In response to residents’ concerns, the mayor announced several immediate measures, including:

• Immediate suspension of pre-termination and termination notices
• A halt to electricity disconnections affecting indigent and deemed-indigent households
• Further assessment of the City’s credit-control processes

Municipal officials say the focus now is on rebuilding trust between residents and the municipality, while also working toward equitable service delivery and restoring electricity supply to qualifying households.

For now, roads in Tembisa have reopened and daily activity has resumed, as discussions between the City of Ekurhuleni and community leadership continue.