The Duncan Village police station fell victim to Buffalo City Metro’s disconnection policy when its power was switched off over nonpayment as the city went on a stricter credit control policy to claw back R8.1bn from its debtors.
The city has been embarking on an aggressive revenue collection campaign against defaulters since August..
By the end of June, residents were BCM’s highest debtors, with R5.7bn owed, while businesses owed the metro R1.4bn and government departments owed R83m.
The city’s total debt owed was sitting at R7.4bn.
However, the figure has now increased to R8.1bn, with just R7.3m debt written off.
Government departments’ debt to the municipality has also increased to R143m and business debt is now sitting at R1.5bn.
The latest figures were revealed at a special council meeting held virtually on Wednesday.
This comes after the city’s revenue collectors cut off power at the Duncan Village police station on Monday.
This caused a temporary halt to operations as the police station’s computers, fax and photocopy machines did not work.
Diesel generators were used to keep the station operating.
Duncan Village Community Policing chair Thembisa Bewula said they were turned back at the station on Monday due to the printers not working.
“The district had requested we send them names and contacts who are in the CPF and that email could not go through because there’s no electricity.
“They are able to open a case because there are generators. For a police station situated where it is, imagine these “amaphara” could get hold of it, it would be chaotic.”
BCM spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said debt collection action was implemented daily, irrespective of the season.
“It was emphasised though, in today’s special council meeting, that the metro needs to be stricter in its credit control particularly against government debtors and entities.
“While we note some improvement in the collection rate, it is also critical that the same measures that are being implemented against domestic consumers be implemented against other spheres of government and state entities as well.”
He said council has also approved an incentive scheme which allowed consumers to settle their debts “using the different incentives and discount bonanzas that are offered”.
Ngwenya did not divulge the amount owed by the police station due to legislation.
“We respect the confidentiality agreements that we have with our clients regardless of the account status,” he said.
Duncan Village station commander Colonel Mkhombiseni Mkhize confirmed the power cut, but said operations were continuing.
“We have two backup diesel generators, and the police station is functioning.
“We have taken this to our national department and informed them.”
In recent months, there have been plans by police minister Senzo Mchunu to move the Duncan Village police station to a more central location in the highly congested township.
This emerged during a National Council of Provinces question-and-answer session at the beginning of August.
Mchunu said the police department was looking to identify a feasible site to relocate the police station, situated in Braelyn, closer to crime-riddled Ziphunzana.
Upon identification, site clearance was expected to begin in the 2025/2026 financial year with the completion of the project expected in the 2028/2029 financial year.
This forms part of the SAPS infrastructure development programme.
Meanwhile, at the Ntlalweni police station in Tsholomnqa which is also under BCM, services were disrupted when an electric substation tripped at 2pm on Tuesday.
Tsaba resident Mabona Dyani said they had written to the municipality many times asking it to fix the reoccurring issue.
“Sometimes the station closes because the municipality takes time to fix [the problem].
“We can’t have a police station that closes with the rate of crime we have,” Dyani said.
By 2pm on Wednesday, electricity had not been restored.
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