JHB businesses threaten rates boycott over City Power power outages

Days without power and massive profit losses.

Some businesses in Kya Sands in Johannesburg are threatening to withhold rate payments unless action is taken to improve infrastructure problems they say have been plaguing the area for years.

Affected businesses say they're often left for days without power as a result of blown substations, cable theft, and several other related challenges faced by state-owned power utility City Power.

While some say they're planning to boycott rates payments until City Power takes action, others are preparing to take the matter to the courts.

Lawyer Michael Wellbeloved of Vermaak Marshall Wellbeloved Inc. represents one of the affected businesses and says City Power is failing in its constitutional duty.

Through City Power, the municipality has failed in three critical aspects of its constitutional mandate, says Wellbeloved.

Those being adequate municipal planning, the regulation of building controls; and the reticulation of electricity.

"What our client contends is that the problem related to the electricity failure in the area extended from the mid-2000s to present...has resulted in the inability of our clients to operate their business efficiently."

- Michael Wellbeloved, Director - Vermaak Marshall Wellbeloved Inc.

"In terms of section 172 of the Constitution, a person is able to take a state organ to court for manner and conduct with is inconsistent with the constitution."

- Michael Wellbeloved, Director - Vermaak Marshall Wellbeloved Inc.

"We suggest the City's failures constituted deregation of the City's objects in terms of the constitution and of certain rights of the applicants which include the right to the quality and freedom of trade and occupation and profession and the right to property."

- Michael Wellbeloved, Director - Vermaak Marshall Wellbeloved Inc.