Many people think it’s illegal for a Municipality or any entity, to disconnect services, if they are not fully paid up.
Schindler Attorneys blog titled “Know your rights: Illegal Electricity /Water disconnections” advises that Municipalities are fully entitled to cut supply if bills are not paid. This is on condition of pre-termination notices, delivered 14 days prior to disconnecting.
But communication experts, will tell you how important it is to be frank and timely, during a crisis.
Expressing empathy is also a fundamental principle in a crisis.
See if you spot any of these essential communication elements in heightened clashes between authorities and residents, since mid year, as a result of disconnecting services.
We remember 7 protests since mid year, as a result of disconnected services or rumors thereof.
The most recent account, is of a fake social media message about the City’s intention to disconnect services, in August. Well this sent shockwaves through Tshwane, residents were up in arms.
In Swellendam last month, a vehicle was torched during a protest.
Disgruntled Diepkloof hostel residents blocked the highway for days in June, as a result of lack of housing, electricity and sanitation services.
Just last week, residents of Mzimhlophe, in Soweto, did the same, due to disconnected electricity supply.
In Centurion, residents blocked the highway in August, placing large rocks on the road and burning tyres.
Similarly, in PE/Gqeberha, 5 trucks were torched. This was after electricity was disconnected by RDP homeowners.
Westville Ratepayers were in court, just last month, to stop the City of Durban, from disconnecting water and electricity.
But a report from the Government back in March 2023, sent an alert, there would be more service delivery protests from mid 2023 onwards, owing to loadshedding, electricity price increases, water restrictions, crime and others. Did you also expect better, timely communication, to manage a crisis, amidst so much going on in the world?