Tshwane ANC faces eviction

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THE ANC in Tshwane may be kicked out of its regional offices in Arcadia after failing to pay close to R1million in utility bills incurred since 2012. The party owes R806999 for usage of water, electricity, sanitation and miscellaneous charges. This is reflected in a City of Tshwane statement dated June 15, 2018, which the Pretoria News has seen. The bill has been issued to the ANC’s parliamentary chief whip to whom the building in Arcadia in Belvedere Street is leased. The municipality leased the building to the chief whip, who represented the ANC, on condition that the lessee would pay monthly rentals and utility services. However, since 2012 the ANC has failed to pay for its utility services. ANC regional party spokesperson Bafuze Yabo could not readily answer questions related to the bills. He said he needed time to gather facts about the matter.

However, he confirmed that the building was utilised by the party’s caucus, parliamentary constituency and the regional structure.

“That office is primarily occupied by a parliamentary constituency of the ANC. We are sharing that office with the ANC parliamentary constituency office,” Yabo said.

The lease contract between the City and the party’s representative, the chief whip, was supposed to continue on a month-to-month basis.

In terms of the contract, the lessee was liable to pay for all charges levied by the City in respect of the supply of electricity and water.

The red flag about the unpaid bills was raised in the City’s internal report dated July 23, 2018, in which it was noted that the lessee had never made any payments for the usage of water and electricity consumption since 2012.

“The outstanding arrears on the particular account amounts already to R806999.73,” the report said.

Insiders within the City told the Pretoria News that the bulk of the debt was incurred by the party while it was still in charge of the municipality under former mayor Kgosientso “Sputla” Ramokgopa.

Failure by the ANC to settle its municipal bills was in breach of the lease agreement, requiring the party to pay for its utility services.

It further said the meter readings were not estimates “as the most recent meter readings are reflected as actual readings on the billing system” .

“No previous arrangements have been made on the account, and services continue to be rendered to the leased premises,” the report said. Part of the contract stated that the party was responsible for paying its monthly rental, assessments rates included, amounting to R6000.

It further said the amount was expected to escalate annually by 7% as from January 1, 2013.

The signed lease contract stipulated that the City ought to have taken legal action against the lessee, including the option of kicking the party out of the property for not complying with the agreement.

According to the contract, the City should have given the ANC 10 days’ notice after it failed to fulfil its contractual obligations.

The purpose of the notification would have been to inform the party of the importance of complying with the contract, also outlining the possibility under which it could be terminated.

Former regional ANC secretary Paul Mojapelo denied that the party was indebted to the municipality. He said the responsibility to pay for municipal bills rested with the landlord.

“It was not the responsibility of the ANC to pay for utility services. It is the responsibility of the landlord. We have never even received a bill from the City of Tshwane,” he said.

City of Tshwane spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the property belonged to the metro, which was on a rental agreement with the ANC Chief Whip Investments.

He said the rental agreement was up to date in terms of payments except the utility bill, which was in arrears.

Mashigo said the account had been handed over to the debt collectors. “The current utility account reflect R806999.73 and attempts to recover the arrears have been followed in line with the Credit Control and Debt Collection policy,” he said. See page 4