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Joburg councillors owe R2 million in municipal debt, city cites privacy for not naming them
via The Citizen3 min read
City of Joburg councillors collectively owe R2 million in outstanding municipal accounts, but the city has declined to release their names, citing privacy laws. This debt is part of a larger R74.2 million owed by staff and councillors, as detailed in the city's third-quarter report. City Power spokesperson Isaac Mangena criticized councillors in Alexandra for not paying their electricity bills while urging residents to do so, noting that only one out of seven Alexandra councillors had an up-to-date account. Mangena warned that non-paying councillors would face disconnections. City Power is experiencing significant financial difficulties, with an overdraft of nearly R20 billion and substantial losses from electricity purchased. The city's chief financial officer, Tebogo Moraka, confirmed the R2 million debt from current and former councillors, stating that the city is actively pursuing recovery. Director of communications and stakeholder management Kgamanyane Maphologela clarified that 15 councillor accounts supplied by City Power are in arrears, totaling R657,779, which includes charges for water, property rates, refuse, and sewer services. While some councillors are actively paying off their debt through various arrangements, the situation raises questions about accountability as Johannesburg intensifies debt collection efforts against residents, businesses, and government entities. The city maintains that public representatives receive no special treatment and face standard
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Online romance and sextortion scams continue to ensnare individuals, particularly men, despite numerous warnings. Scammers employ a manipulation strategy that involves building trust before exploitation. Psychologist Elize Thesner notes that perpetrators identify vulnerabilities in lonely, grieving, isolated individuals, or those seeking care. Scammers patiently build rapport, trust, and emotional connection, showing interest in their target's challenges. This leads to a carefully constructed relationship where victims emotionally invest in a non-existent future, viewing the scammer as a confidant and source of comfort. Psychologist and medical doctor Jonathan Redelinghuys explains that many victims seek intimacy in its broadest sense, not just sex. Sexual content often enters the relationship later, appearing as a natural progression. Emotional attachment can cloud judgment, making it difficult for victims to discern exploitation. Thesner adds that sexual attraction activates the brain's reward systems, reinforcing the relationship and making it harder for victims to recognize warning signs. Scammers also introduce stories of hardship to create a caregiving dynamic, making victims feel like helpers or rescuers. When the deception is exposed, shame becomes a powerful tool, as fear of public humiliation can outweigh financial losses. Thesner concludes that these scams exploit universal human needs like hope, affection, validation, and belonging, effectively weaponizing them.
Must ReadSextortion scams are on the rise again, moving beyond online solicitations to include real-world threats, according to private investigator Brad Nathanson. Victims, often men, are entrapped through adult websites or classified ads where they believe they are interacting with genuine sex workers. The scams can involve online chitchat or physical contact, with demands quickly escalating into threats against spouses, employers, and family members. Some victims are identified after visiting establishments, with their personal information obtained through illicit means. Nathanson cited a businessman who paid R650,000 before seeking help. Teenagers are also targeted, primarily through social media entrapment, as seen in a case where a boy was extorted with intimate pictures. Nathanson attributes the scams' continued success to victims' ego and their reluctance to involve law enforcement due to fear of exposure or further consequences. He advises victims to cut off communication immediately and never engage with unsolicited messages, as continued payments rarely resolve the situation and only encourage the extortionists.
The ANC's Eastern Cape branch is currently without leadership after the Eastern Cape High Court in Makhanda declared the appointment of the interim ANC provincial task team PTT invalid and set it aside. This ruling effectively leaves the party's Eastern Cape branch leaderless, as the previous provincial executive committee PEC was dissolved last month in favor of the now-nullified PTT. The party's decision to install the PTT was challenged by three aggrieved members, including Lwazi Rotya, a Ward 24 branch member, who argued that the appointment violated the ANC's constitution and infringed on their contractual rights. Judge Vuyokazi Pamella Noncembu criticized the ANC's conduct, stating that their behavior "strongly suggests a lack of bona fides" and that the issues could have been resolved without costly litigation if the ANC had been transparent with its members. The court also censured the ANC for presenting a contradictory version and a belated resolution to oppose the matter.