Johannesburg's electricity debt problem extends beyond impoverished areas, with City Power's latest figures indicating that significant unpaid bills are concentrated in affluent suburbs, businesses, and commercial hubs. Service delivery areas like Randburg, Roodepoort, and Hurst Hill each owe over R1 billion, while the inner city alone accounts for R3.67 billion of the utility's R13.3 billion debt. Alexandra township's outstanding debt of R718.7 million is considerably lower than several other supply areas. The debt is spread across residential customers, businesses, and large power users. Reuven follows with R2.37 billion in total debt, and Hurst Hill with R2.2 billion. Other major debt hotspots include Roodepoort at R1.28 billion, Randburg at R1.23 billion, and Lenasia at R1.2 billion, with Midrand recording the lowest at R634.7 million. City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena stated that debt reporting is based on service delivery center boundaries, which include a mix of residential, business, and industrial customers. Electricity theft significantly impacts City Power's finances and infrastructure, with overall electricity losses estimated at 29.87%. These losses, comprising technical and non-technical factors, mean City Power still pays Eskom for the lost electricity. Technical losses are due to aging infrastructure and network inefficiencies, while non-technical losses are largely caused by illegal connections, theft, and meter bypassing. These activities cost the utilit
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Hundreds of Malawians have been sleeping at the Malawi high commission in Pretoria, South Africa, since the beginning of the week, awaiting buses to transport them home. Approximately 500 stranded individuals were at the embassy, with many expressing frustration over the limited bus capacity. One woman, traveling with her baby, shared her mixed feelings of excitement to return home and disappointment when buses fill up before she can board. She mentioned arriving in South Africa by bus earlier this year and was told to return home following recent protests, despite not being in immediate danger. Yusuf Mustafa from the Institute for Islamic Services, who has been providing food to foreigners at various embassies, noted a significant increase in people at the Malawi embassy, particularly children and pregnant women. He reported that out of about 500 people, only 300 received food on a recent morning. DA ward councillor Shimmy Mashamaite stated that Malawians, including mothers with young babies, arrived from different provinces after being instructed by landlords to leave their homes, sometimes with only 30 minutes' notice.
Johannesburg's Mayor Dada Morero and his mayoral committee have assured residents that the city's financial situation will not lead to a widespread service delivery collapse. This comes after National Treasury announced that Johannesburg would not receive its almost R4 billion equitable share grant this month. Morero stated that funds are available to pay essential debts, including R1.4 billion to Eskom by mid-July and approximately R960 million to Rand Water this month. He also mentioned that the municipality has regularized R1.8 billion in irregular and wasteful expenditure, with a further R6.4 billion under consideration. While acknowledging that financial management is "okay" and not in a crisis state, Morero noted that more needs to be done to manage cash flow and revenue performance. Finance MMC Loyiso Masuku attributed the city's challenges to previous administrations, stating problems began "from 2016." However, former mayor Herman Mashaba dismissed these accusations, blaming both the ANC and the DA for years of neglect and political instability. Morero also addressed the Pikitup backlog, attributing it to a cash flow issue that has since been resolved, and discussed a R3.2 million debt issue at Thuso House, which he said was due to a two-year administrative delay. He highlighted a positive Moody's review and a R3.8 billion loan from the German Development Bank, while also engaging with Treasury for more lenient recovery methods.
Former EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi recently addressed a crowd in Tehran, Iran, while attending the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Ndlozi offered condolences and thanked Iranians for their alleged support during South Africa's apartheid era, stating, "When South Africa was under the yoke of the oppressive apartheid, you the people of Iran helped us to defeat apartheid." He also expressed solidarity with the people of Palestine. His presence and speech have generated varied reactions among South Africans on X. Some users, like @PKamupingene and @Mangethe__, suggested his relationship with Iran could be an asset or that he would make a suitable ambassador. Mayibuye Mandela clarified that Ndlozi attended in a personal political capacity, not representing the South African government. Conversely, @DrLimukaniMathe questioned his focus on resistance abroad given domestic issues like xenophobia. The DA's spokesperson on international affairs, Ryan Smith, refuted Ndlozi's claims about Iran's anti-apartheid support. Smith stated that after the Iranian revolution, Iran imprisoned ANC's socialist allies and sold oil to the apartheid state in exchange for weapons during the 1980s sanctions, arguing that Iran helped sustain the apartheid regime. Smith acknowledged Ndlozi's freedom to express his views despite disagreeing with them.