CITY POWER REAFFIRMS ITS COMMITMENT TO LAWFUL REVENUE PROTECTION AS CURRO ACCOUNT REMAINS UNDER REVIEW

City Power has noted the public statement issued by Mouton Education Foundation NPC, trading as Curro, regarding the interruption of electricity supply to Curro Sagewood School in Noordwyk, Midrand.
The utility considers it necessary to clarify the circumstances surrounding the matter and to reaffirm its commitment to acting lawfully, fairly and in accordance with its statutory obligations.

City Power rejects the assertion that its media statement issued on 24 June 2026 was false, unlawful or defamatory. The statement was issued on the basis of information reasonably available to the utility at the time and reflected the operational facts as they were recorded on City Power’s internal systems.

The interruption of electricity supply formed part of City Power’s revenue protection and credit control programme, which is undertaken in terms of the Local Government Municipal Systems Act, the applicable municipal Credit Control and Debt Collection By-laws, and the City’s approved revenue management framework.

These legislative and regulatory instruments place a legal obligation on municipalities to recover revenue that is lawfully due while ensuring the continued financial sustainability of essential municipal services.
At the time the decision to interrupt the electricity supply was taken, City Power relied on information reflected on its internal systems, including SAP records, which indicated substantial arrears on the account.

The information available to the utility at that stage did not indicate the existence of an active dispute recorded in a manner that would have precluded the exercise of its statutory debt recovery powers.
Operational decisions of this nature must necessarily be based on the information reasonably available to officials at the time they are required to act.

The subsequent raising of a dispute, or further engagement between the parties following the interruption of supply, does not, without more, retrospectively render the original decision unlawful. These are matters that must be determined through the appropriate legal and administrative processes.

City Power further notes the allegation that the interruption resulted from an administrative lag or system reconciliation error attributable to the utility. These allegations are expressly disputed. The history of the account, including the nature and extent of previous engagements, reconciliations, disputes and any administrative interventions, remains the subject of verification and investigation.

It would therefore be inappropriate to draw definitive conclusions before that process has been completed.
The utility also wishes to clarify that the existence of discussions or disagreements regarding charges reflected on an account does not necessarily establish that every amount appearing on that account is disputed. Each matter must be assessed on its own facts and supported by the relevant account history, technical information and applicable legal framework.

City Power remains committed to establishing a complete and accurate account history. This process includes verifying all relevant billing records, internal system information and documentation submitted by the customer.
The objective is to ensure that any outstanding issues are resolved on the basis of verified facts and in accordance with the law.

The utility remains willing to engage constructively and in good faith with the customer regarding any disputed electricity charges and has invited the customer to provide all relevant documentation upon which it relies in support of its position. City Power believes that meaningful engagement supported by objective evidence is essential to resolving complex account matters fairly and transparently.

Pending the completion of the verification process, and without any admission of liability whatsoever, City Power will consider issuing a factual clarification should it become necessary once the account history and the nature of any disputed charges have been fully established.
As aspects of this matter are now the subject of legal proceedings, City Power will continue to respect the judicial process and will refrain from commenting further on issues that are properly before the courts.

City Power remains committed to protecting public resources, ensuring the integrity of its revenue collection processes and administering its statutory responsibilities consistently, fairly and in accordance with the law. The utility will continue to work with all customers to resolve legitimate account disputes while safeguarding the financial sustainability of Johannesburg’s electricity network for the benefit of all residents and businesses.