Richards Bay - The Mhlathuze Water board has eventually settled its unspecified electricity bill after it was left red-faced on Thursday when the City of Umhlathuze (Richards Bay - Mpangeni) cut it off from the system.
The troubled water board had allegedly ignored several reminders to settle its bill, forcing the IFP-run municipality to take the drastic act of cutting it off.
Ironically, the Mhlathuze Water board is a bulk supplier of water to the municipality and in the past few months, the two have been at each other’s throats.
UPDATE: UMhlathute Water board tells IOL that it has now fully settled its outstanding electricity bill, which led to the City of UMhlathuze (Richards Bay-Mpangeni) cutting it off the grid earlier today.
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The mayor of the city, Xolani Ngwezi, recently lashed out at the water board for delays in the Nsezi water scheme which is desperately needed by the municipality to solve its years-long water woes in the densely populated town of Esikhawini (Esikhaleni).
It was not the only high-profile client to be cut off as the municipality pulled the plug on Eskom regional offices based in Mpangeni and the district offices of the Department of Education, Transport and Social Development.
These offices belong to the ANC-run provincial government, not the national ones as previously speculated.
By 4pm on Thursday, the Mhlathuze Water board told IOL that it has settled its bill and its power has been restored.
“We are aware that we had an overdue electricity account with the City of Mhlathuze. We have since settled it in full and our power is restored. There were no disruptions to our services,” it said in a right of reply sent to IOL.
The spokesperson of the municipality on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal confirmed that the water board has fully settled its account.
“We can confirm that Mhlathuze Water has settled their bill and power has been restored to them,” said municipal spokesperson, Bongani Gina in a written response to IOL.
This municipality is not the first one to disconnect owing businesses.
Late last year, the City of Msunduzi (Pietermaritzburg) followed the likes of Tshwane and Johannesburg and cut off owing clients.
Last week, the Ulundi local municipality in northern KwaZulu-Natal which owes Eskom over R100 million embarked on a similar campaign, disconnecting homes illegally connected to the grid.
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