R2m garage power bill fuels owner’s fury

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Published Mar 25, 2017

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Pretoria – A Garsfontein petrol station owner is so fed up with the City of Tshwane regarding his electricity bill, which is now at nearly R2 million, that he has turned to the courts for help.

Mohammed Awaiz Ismail said he did not fall for the “corrupt gestures” of payment so that “a plan could be made” for his problems to go away.

While he got used to the continual cutting of power during load-shedding and simply used his generator, he claimed his ward councillor warned him not to do so as residents in the area complained about the noise.

Ismail said this left him in a catch 22 situation, as he needed electricity to run his business. He obtained an urgent order from the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, in which the city was interdicted from disconnecting his electricity supply and removing the meters on his premises.

IsmaIl undertook to pay the city R18 000 a month until this issue could be resolved.

He said he would later return to court to obtain an order for the city to provide proof that the meter reading equipment installed at his Awaiz Petroleum in Delfi Avenue was formally approved equipment. He also wants an order forcing the city to verify the meter readings against his account number.

Ismail also wants a new municipal account opened in his name, stating the true amount of what he owes. He said in an affidavit that his electricity woes were making it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for him to run his business.

His problems started in February 2013 when he noticed the “amount brought forward” on his bill was recorded as R48673. This amount continued to escalate, although he paid R15000 each month.

“I was confronted with corrupt gestures (by the city) that if I was prepared to pay R5 000, a plan could be made.” He refused to be part of “any corruption”.

“Officials” again arrived at his premises a few months later and this time his power supply was cut.

Ismail used his generator until the next day another “official” arrived. This time the official offered to replace the meter boxes, but wanted R15 000 in advance.

The city did not file any papers stating its side of the story.

Pretoria News

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