‘FAILED THOSE IN NEED’: City demands R31m in accounts from Joburg Society for the Blind
The City of Johannesburg has wiped off R8m in phantom water and power charges but is still demanding R31.5m from the Johannesburg Society for the Blind, leading to severe disruptions at the institution.
The City of Johannesburg has canceled R8 million in erroneous water and power charges against the Johannesburg Society for the Blind (JSB), yet still demands R31.5 million in outstanding arrears. This has left the institution trapped in a prolonged dispute, resulting in severe operational setbacks since 2020 when municipal water was cut off and darkness enveloped the facility in late 2023.
The society, which provides residential, academic and vocational training for visually impaired adults, has been forced to reduce its resident population from 84 to 48 and limit class sizes from 20 to 10 due to the power and water shortages. CEO Vangile Nyamathe noted that the bill dispute has set the institution back six years, forcing drastic operational changes like relying on generators and gas for cooking, halting the hydroponics program, and limiting the use of computer labs.
The remaining R31.5 million debt is disputed, with JSB contending that the City's billing methods are flawed due to non-existent water supply and incorrect meter readings. Joburg Water maintains that it has corrected billing anomalies but continues to charge for infrastructure connections and statutory availability charges.
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