Helen Zille Vows To Cut Soweto Water And Power For Non-Payers Those Will Be Her First Acts As Joburg Mayor

Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Council Chairperson Helen Zille has reportedly warned that disconnecting water and electricity supplies to households with outstanding municipal accounts would be among her first priorities if she becomes Johannesburg’s mayor.

Speaking on Wednesday, Zille indicated that residents who fail to settle their municipal arrears could face service disconnections as part of efforts to improve revenue collection in the city.

During a DA briefing, she reportedly outlined plans to strengthen the enforcement of municipal payment obligations, arguing that unpaid accounts weaken the financial resources needed to maintain infrastructure and provide services to communities.

Soweto carries a substantial municipal debt burden, with outstanding payments estimated to run into billions of rands. Zille’s position is that residents who can afford to pay their accounts should meet their obligations to ensure the city has sufficient funds to deliver services to everyone.

Her remarks have reportedly drawn criticism from the ANC Youth League in Gauteng, which described the proposed approach as an attack on working-class communities. The organisation also threatened to mobilise residents against any attempts to disconnect household services.

Ward councillors from areas including Meadowlands, Dobsonville and Orlando East reportedly advised residents through community WhatsApp groups to prepare for possible legal action. The City of Johannesburg’s communications office had not issued an official response at the time of the report.

The issue has revived a long-running debate over municipal debt and service delivery in Soweto. Previous administrations, including the one led by former mayor Herman Mashaba, faced difficulties enforcing payment collection because of political opposition and resistance from communities.

The situation has also been complicated by residents’ concerns about paying for services they say are often unreliable, while the city argues that inadequate revenue collection makes it difficult to maintain and improve infrastructure.

However, Zille’s possible appointment as Johannesburg mayor remains uncertain, as coalition negotiations are still ongoing and no formal date for her installation has been announced.

For now, her remarks have raised questions about how a future DA-led administration would handle municipal debt and whether households with outstanding accounts would face stricter enforcement measures.

https://x.com/LeviKriel/status/2118372411754348585

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