City Power cuts electricity to Curro school in Noordwyk over unpaid R9.3m bill

Johannesburg’s municipal utility City Power disconnected the electricity supply to Curro School in Noordwyk on 23 June 2026 after what the utility described as sustained non-payment on an account it says totals R9.3 million.

What happened

City Power said the disconnection was carried out on Tuesday, 23 June 2026 by its teams together with its security unit and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department. The utility described the move as part of a broader revenue protection operation targeting high-value defaulters.

Outstanding debt and enforcement drive

According to City Power, the R9.3 million account at Curro had been accumulating since 2023. The utility said this case is one of four high-value defaulting properties identified in the operation, with combined outstanding debt of R38.1 million. City Power said individual debts among the properties range from R5 million to R13 million, and that these amounts accumulated over roughly three years despite repeated recovery efforts.

City Power response and rationale

City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena described the disconnection as part of efforts to recover overdue revenue and protect the electricity network. He quoted City Power management describing the decision as necessary after what the utility termed “prolonged non-compliance, which has placed a severe strain on the utility’s ability to recover revenue and sustain the electricity distribution network.”

The utility’s acting chief executive officer, Charles Tlouane, was quoted expressing surprise that an institution of Curro’s profile had allowed its account to reach such a level. Tlouane said the situation was “unexpected” and that defaults of this nature place additional strain on City Power’s constrained revenue base and service delivery across the city.

Broader consequences cited by the utility

City Power warned that unpaid accounts at this scale affect its balance sheet and its capacity to respond to infrastructure failures, reduce outages and invest in long-term network improvements. Mangena said the ongoing revenue protection operations aim to address an imbalance created when large institutions and commercial users do not settle accounts, and that enforcement action will be applied regardless of a consumer’s status or size.

City Power’s stated position

“All consumers, including private institutions and large power users, are expected to settle their accounts in full and on time,” Mangena said. “Failure to do so will result in decisive enforcement action without exception, including disconnection of supply where necessary.”

The utility said its Revenue Protection Unit will continue operations targeting other high-value defaulters as it works to recover outstanding revenue and stabilise its financial position.