Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Gary van Niekerk led an electricity disconnection blitz in the Bay on Thursday in a bid to recoup a massive R13,8 billion owed by non-paying residents and businesses in the city.
Currently, the metro's average revenue collection rate is at 75%.
According to the municipality, the ideal would be to have a collection rate of 94%.
Armed with bolt cutters, electricity, and energy department employees, and a long list of defaulters, including businesses and account holders in the Summerstrand, Lovemore Heights, and Walmer areas, Van Niekerk led the campaign.
The team visited and disconnected the electricity at 32 homes and eight business premises.
Defaulters who formed part of Thursday's disconnection campaign collectively owed the metro R14.8 million.
Account holders who are in arrears in Summerstrand owe more than R6.5 million, Lovemore Heights R1.7 million, and the Walmer areas R2.3 million, while eight businesses are collectively in arrears with more than R4.5 million.
At one of the homes in Summerstrand where the homeowner owes more than R800 000, the municipality's electricity meter was seemingly tampered with.
Upon entry, the electricity box showed that it had zero units of electricity, but the lights were on, and appliances like televisions were in use.
Just a few doors down the road, Van Niekerk and his team rang the doorbell at a home where the account holder was in arrears with R2.5 million.
Although someone peeped through a window on the second floor, nobody opened the gates.
It is alleged that the owner is a "repeat offender".
Digging will commence in front of his yard to remove the cable that supplies the electricity to his house.
Those who tampered with electricity meters were fined R4 000.
Joel Swartz who manages the Debtor Management and Suspension of Services Division said they were tasked with the "unpopular" responsibility to collect revenue.
He said some of the issues they face include people refusing to grant them entry to their premises (as they are obliged to do) and others who have tampered with meters and reconnected themselves.
"Although these measures seem punitive, we are still trying to correct the resident's incorrect behaviour.
"We want to encourage people to pay their accounts and to stick to the payment arrangements," said van Niekerk.
He emphasized that the municipality needs the revenue to provide services to its residents, especially the poor.
Van Niekerk also said some of the homes they visited were "mansions" with eight to ten bedrooms.
"What's sad is that this is student accommodation, which means that the landlord is collecting the rent but not paying the electricity."
Going forward, the disconnection blitz will commence regularly every Thursday.
