Schools' power cut off

[schumi]

Durban - Some Durban schools have issued parents with an ultimatum to pay school fees for the year upfront to avoid the facilities shutting down because of electricity disconnections. eThekwini Municipality is owed more than R80 million by section 21 schools that have not been paying their municipal bills.

School principals of about 492 affected schools met mayor Zandile Gumede on Friday.

Principals who spoke to the Daily News on Monday said their electricity was already disconnected when they met the mayor and were struggling to continue with classes.

Some said they were unaware of the meeting with the mayor and were still pondering how they would get the money to pay their arrears.

The issue was raised during the city’s executive committee (Exco) and full council meetings last week where the intention to disconnect electricity was announced as the municipality could not continue to cope with the debt.

More at : https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/schools-power-cut-off-13127888

 

[ponder]

Everything is free in SA...

 

[Devviem]

Only now, when the debt amounted to R80milj and the power got cut, are they meeting with the mayor and trying to make plans. Fokken pateties!

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

Section 21 schools are those schools that manage their own finances. The Department deposits the school allocation into the schools’ account at the beginning of every financial year.

And they didn't pay electricity ..... lined pockets instead, now they cry. Same old same old.

 

[supersunbird]

And they didn't pay electricity ..... lined pockets instead, now they cry. Same old same old.

Electricity cost for R60 000 is more than half the yearly government allocation to the school.

Zandile Sithole, Swelihle High School principal, inherited an electricity bill of R355000 and a water debt of R250000 when she took over last year.

Struggling to survive on an annual budget of R107000 received from the Education Department as a section 21 school, Sithole is expected to pay at least R5000 a month towards the electricity debt, which amounts to R60000 a year from her budget.

 

[Mephisto_Helix]

Firstly, how the hell was that previous debt 'inherited'? Surely then the previous principal was doing the shady and the new principal should in no way be liable. Secondly, bills have to be paid, come what may. Petition for more money, maybe ask the current corrupt bunch to spend more of education and maybe hold them to it but to ignore bills is only going to cause you grief, as it has done.

 

[schumi]

I'm sorry says Durban mayor after municipality cuts power to schools owing R80m

Durban mayor Zandile Gumede has apologised to 30 schools in and around the city after their electricity was cut off over outstanding municipal bills.

Power has since been restored to all the schools. It was recently revealed that section 21 schools — which manage their own finances — owe the eThekwini Municipality more than R80-million in utility bills.

Last Monday Gumede hauled the offending Durban school principals before the municipality to explain why they were not paying.

The meeting came after she had told a full council meeting that section 21 schools that had outstanding utility bills would not be automatically disconnected.

But at the city’s executive committee meeting this week‚ Gumede issued an apology.

More at: https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/so...unicipality-cuts-power-to-schools-owing-r80m/

 

[ToxicBunny]

Yeah proper processes my arse...

My electricity was cut off yesterday because of the municipalities incompetence... I had to spend the afternoon running around to get them to reconnect it and to TRY get them to fix the billing issues that they caused on my account over the last 14 months.

A proper process would be a notice of intention to disconnect, instead they fsckers just arrive and do it with zero warning whatsoever.

 

[infscrtyrisk]

And they didn't pay electricity ..... lined pockets instead, now they cry. Same old same old.

Teachers who cannot teach, and managers who cannot manage. Could this be due to the SADTU (who are really running the schools)?

 

[schumi]

KZN education department to pay R30m to bail out schools with outstanding water and electricity bills

The KwaZulu-Natal department of education is set to pay R30-million to the eThekwini municipality to bail out schools with outstanding municipal bills.


In a statement on Tuesday, the department said it was concerned by the increasing number of schools which owed municipalities exorbitant amounts for water and electricity.


“In 2019, the department provided some relief to some schools, over and above the norms and standards, where a total of R48m was paid to eThekwini municipality alone. A further R30m is going to be paid this year to those schools whose norms and standards are too low and are genuinely unable to pay,” said the department.


They noted that many of the affected schools were in communities with high numbers of illegal water and electricity connections. They said the most-affected schools were in the Umlazi and Pinetown districts, which fall under the eThekwini municipality.


The department also said that although there were instances where schools could not afford to pay, in some cases the bills were high because of poor school management.

More at:

KZN education department to pay R30m to bail out schools with outstanding water and electricity bills

The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education is set to pay R30 million to the eThekwini municipality to bail out schools with high municipal bills.

www.timeslive.co.za

 

[zulucat]

The best things in life are free... Oh wait!