The Gauteng Department of Health has denied that Helen Joseph Hospital owes City Power R23 million in unpaid electricity bills.
This comes after the power utility served Gauteng Health’s Rahima Moosa and Helen Joseph hospitals with pre-termination notices with the intention to cut their lights for R32 million owed to the City of Joburg.
In a statement on Friday, the department said the hospital has only one invoice for the month of June that is outstanding.
“According to the department’s records, Helen Joseph Hospital does not owe City Power the stated amount of R23.4 million. There is however, a only one invoice that is outstanding for the month of June 2023 which City Power has not uploaded onto the E-invoicing portal,” said spokesperson for the department Motaletale Modiba
When it comes to Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital which is said to be owing R7m, the department said R2.7m is being processed for the months July to August this year.
On Thursday, Dr Arthur Manning, the chief executive of Rahima Moosa Hospital, was served with a pre-termination notice for the hospital’s R7m debt.
City Power officials also targeted other businesses and residences in the Hursthill area who owed a further R13m.
In recent weeks, City Power has intensified its fight against non-paying customers including government entities such as Telkom who are said to be owing City Power million in unpaid bills.
On Thursday, City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena indicated that the Hursthill service delivery centre owed a combined R1.3 billion with this week’s cut-off operation targeted at 10 businesses and domestic users who owe R13m.
“These weekly cut-off operations across the City of Joburg are aimed at sending a strong message to defaulters that City Power will not tolerate non-payment. It is also an opportunity for City Power to recover the revenue it needs to continue to provide essential services to the City’s residents and businesses,” Mangena said.
He said the power utility would continue with its weekly operations to ensure that non-paying customers start paying for services.