City Power disconnects Pan-African Parliament over R37.2m debt

City Power has disconnected electricity supply to the premises occupied by the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) following the non-payment of its municipal account.

The disconnection was carried out on Monday afternoon, 21 September 2026, after City Power officials and the City of Johannesburg initially encountered resistance when they attempted to access the premises earlier in the day.

In a statement on Monday City Power said that the account currently has R37,227,157.06 in arrears.

The latest payment of R50,000 was received on 14 September, but the payment has not made a significant dent in the outstanding debt.

City Power said this is not the first time it has disconnected the premises over unpaid municipal bills.

In September 2024, the utility disconnected the building during an operation targeting customers with a combined outstanding debt of about R28 million.

The City said it was concerned that despite the previous intervention, a substantial debt had once again accumulated.

The current arrears of R37.2 million are also significantly higher than the combined debt recorded during the 2024 disconnection operation.

The Pan-African Parliament occupies the premises, while the South African government is responsible for arrangements relating to the institution's accommodation.

City Power said public records indicate that the Department of Public Works has historically been responsible for rental payments relating to accommodation leased for the PAP.

The City's Intergovernmental Relations function continues to engage national and provincial government departments and other government entities over outstanding municipal debt.

City Power said these engagements form part of broader efforts to improve revenue collection and ensure government entities meet their financial obligations.

The utility stressed that government-related premises are not exempt from the City's credit-control processes.

It urged the responsible parties to settle the outstanding account or engage with the City over a payment arrangement to prevent further disruption to electricity supply.