A Legacy in the Dark: Poet Laureate’s Widow Battles eThekwini Over R1m “Ghost” Electricity Bills

At 86 years old, Mathabo Kunene should be tending to the legacy of her late husband, South Africa’s revered Poet Laureate Mazisi Kunene. Instead, she is locked in a draining fight with the eThekwini Municipality over electricity bills totaling more than R1 millioncharges she insists are for power never consumed.

The dispute spans two properties: the Mazisi Kunene Museum in Glenwood, a cultural hub visited by students and international scholars, and her personal home in Morningside. According to Kunene, the municipality first demanded R347,000 for the museum, a property that operates solely as a heritage site with no residents. To prevent disconnection, she paid R250,000 upfront while contesting the charge.

Her shock deepened when she was then slapped with a separate bill of R795,000 for her private residence. “If I had used electricity worth R795,000, it would light up the whole of KwaMashu,” she said. “We are being unfairly targeted.”

A Systemic Problem, A Personal Battle

Kunene’s struggle echoes a city-wide outcry over erratic and inflated municipal billing. Many residents report inexplicably high charges and a frustrating, opaque dispute resolution process. For Kunene, the financial strain is acute. She is making monthly payments of around R26,950 on her home in a desperate attempt to manage the debt while seeking a resolution.

The situation turned invasive when, she claims, municipal contractors jumped fences and broke into the museum property to disconnect electricity. “This place will never shut down. It belongs to South Africa,” she stated. “But what angers me is how the eThekwini municipality can treat citizens, especially the elderly, with such disrespect.”

The Municipality’s Response: “No Billing System Issue”

In response to inquiries, eThekwini Municipality’s Marketing and Communications Deputy Director, Gugu Sisilana, firmly denied any systemic problem. “There is no billing system issue within eThekwini Municipality,” she said, declining to discuss individual accounts. Sisilana stated the matter has been “ongoing for several years” and that the customer has been informed of the steps to resolve it, a process that “cannot be concluded through a media enquiry.”

Residents are directed to visit the Revenue Services Directorate or a Sizakala Centre with supporting documents.

A Poet’s Legacy Versus Administrative Indifference

Mazisi Kunene, author of seminal works like Emperor Shaka the Great, is a pillar of African literature. The museum preserving his work is a national asset. That his widow must now defend herself against what she calls “harassment” over phantom electricity usage highlights a cruel disconnect between bureaucratic failure and cultural preservation.

This is more than a billing dispute; it’s a test of how a city values its elders and its heritage. As Kunene navigates this labyrinth, her fight underscores a broader crisis of accountability, where citizens are left powerless against automated demands and official indifference. The lights at the museum may flicker, but her determination to protect her husband’s legacy burns steady.

{Source: IOL}

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