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CHOOSE VACCINATION www.sacoronavirus.co.za ISSUE 54 – 24 March 2022 Email: olifants@papashamedia.co.za Tel: 010 023 1845 www.theolifants.co.za
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City of Ekurhuleni lock horns with Eskom over R544 million electricity debt by Dumisani Hlatswayo
Ms. Tanya Campbell. However, no assistance was received from the he City of Ekurhuleni is wag- Mayor, but instead, Eskom was ing war with Eskom over an referred back to the City’s manalleged electricity debt of R544 agement by the Mayor. The late million. According to a statement payments by the City have resulted issued by Eskom on 28 February in Eskom charging it an interest of this year, the City of Ekurhuleni is R86 million a year to date,” the stateamong the municipalities whose debt ment continued. has been increasing significantly. It However, a few days later, the City is still unclear how the City ended responded with its scathing stateup with such a hefty bill. ment, rubbishing some of the claims “On 18 February 2022, Ekurhuleni made by Eskom. paid a partial amount of R530 mil“To protect the reputation and lion of its bulk accounts which total integrity of the City of Ekurhuleni, R1,074 billion that was due,” said the City shall not hesitate to initiate the statement. litigation against Eskom over the “We have been engaging continu- non-compliance with the provisions ously with the City’s management of municipal finance legislation and on this matter and subsequently has already written to Eskom to pubescalated it to the Executive Mayor, licly withdraw their statement. This
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action is also intended to ensure that the electricity supply to residents is not unlawfully disrupted. A crucial aspect to the dispute, which was already addressed with Eskom, is the incurring of interest charges of approximately R 86m. This amount is strenuously defended,” said Ekurhuleni. According to Ekurhuleni Municipality, the municipality ended up with a hefty electricity bill due to ‘one monthly billing for January.’ “The issue of paying Eskom within 30 days instead of 15 days has been escalated to the national treasury,” said the Ekurhuleni spokesperson, Zweli Dlamini of Ekurhuleni. Dlamini assured The Olifants News that the electricity debt of Ekurhu- way. “The outstanding amount was leni will not affect residents in any paid on 2 March within 30 days in
line with MFMA requirement,” said Dlamini.
Police arrest a bogus cop in Thembisa by Staff Writer
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second bogus cop was arrested in Ekurhuleni in the space of three days last week. The male suspect was caught in Ntshonalanga, Thembisa, where he was found in possession of a police
uniform and live rounds of ammu- a white VW Polo on Thursday, 24 firearms and live ammunition and nition for pistols and assault rifles. February 2022, at 23h00. impersonating police officers. The suspect was caught during Upon investigation, police recovMMC for Community Safety, Cllr a sting operation conducted by the ered police caps, a firearm magazine, Letlhogonolo Moseki, said that this EMPD, Gauteng Traffic Manage- ammunition, constable rank flasher, arrest was a testament that the City ment, JMPD, and the Johannesburg and SAPS face masks. was on the right track to eliminate Crime Intelligence. The arrest The man faces various charges, criminal activities in the City. occurred when the officers stopped including possession of unlicensed “Ekurhuleni is not a home for
criminals. We are going to root out all criminal elements in our City. It is time to take back our streets from criminals,” he said.