{
  "id": 5408884,
  "title": "BILLING CRISIS: City Power disconnects NGOs helping thousands of vulnerable children",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/billing-crisis-city-power-disconnects-ngos-helping-thousands-of",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-03T20:46:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Maverick",
    "slug": "daily-maverick",
    "url": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-09-03-city-power-disconnects-ngos-helping-thousands-of-vulnerable-children/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A billing dispute between City Power and 22 child-care NGOs has led to a loss of electricity at the Children’s Memorial Institute campus in Johannesburg. The shutdown, which began on September 3rd, forces NGOs to use emergency generators, incurring a daily fuel bill of R30,000. This crisis threatens the daily care, education, feeding schemes, and infection control for thousands of vulnerable children. The industrial laundry facility on the campus, which services four major hospitals and 13 clinics, is also affected, putting the operational hygiene of these institutions at risk. The City of Johannesburg and relevant departments have yet to comment on the situation.",
  "summary": "Following a R44m intergovernmental dispute, City Power has cut electricity at the Children’s Memorial Institute campus, which hosts NGOs dedicated to serving children as well as an industrial laundry service for some of Joburg’s biggest hospitals.",
  "key_points": [
    "City Power disconnects NGOs, causing electricity loss at Children’s Memorial Institute",
    "NGOs use emergency generators, incurring R30,000 daily fuel bill",
    "Shutdown affects child care, education, feeding, and infection control for thousands"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}