Top private school in South Africa cut off over R9.3 million billing blunder
City Power disconnected the electricity supply to Curro School in Noordwyk after it claimed that the private school accumulated more than R9.3 million in unpaid electricity bills.
However, the school group denied owing the city the amount, saying it was part of an active dispute resulting from billing issues.
City Power said the disconnection formed part of a broader revenue recovery operation targeting several high-value defaulters across Johannesburg.
According to City Power, four identified properties collectively owe R38.1 million, with individual debts ranging from R5 million to R13 million.
In a statement, City Power said its Revenue Protection Unit carried out the operation alongside City Power Security and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD).
“City Power confirms that its Revenue Protection Unit, working in a coordinated operation with City Power Security and the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), has disconnected electricity supply to Curro School in Noordwyk on Tuesday, 23 June,” the utility said.
The utility claimed that the private school owed R9.3 million and that the debt had accumulated despite repeated efforts to recover the money and engage with those responsible for the account.
Curro said it owed nothing, calling the disconnection unlawful. The group said the utility was presented with the dispute and ignored it, forcing it to approach the City of Joburg’s attorneys.
Power was restored an hour later.
According to City Power, the outstanding amounts associated with the broader operation have been accumulating since 2023.
The utility said it had attempted various recovery processes before resorting to disconnections.
City Power stressed that the decision to cut power was only taken after prolonged non-compliance and was necessary to protect its financial position and support the maintenance of Johannesburg’s electricity network.
The utility added that unpaid accounts place pressure on the utility’s finances and affect its ability to provide services to customers who meet their payment obligations.
“Situations like this place undue pressure on City Power’s ability to maintain and upgrade critical infrastructure, while also impacting our efforts to ensure reliable electricity supply to paying customers across Johannesburg,” it said.
Unfair burden on customers who pay
The utility argued that large outstanding accounts directly affect its ability to operate and invest in the electricity network.
According to City Power, every unpaid account contributes to growing financial pressure, reducing the resources available to respond to infrastructure failures, minimise outages and fund long-term improvements to the power grid.
The utility also warned that significant debt accumulated by large institutions and commercial users places an unfair burden on customers who pay their accounts on time.
City Power said such arrears weaken the financial sustainability of the electricity supply chain in Johannesburg and make it more difficult to maintain reliable service delivery.
The utility explained that its ongoing revenue protection campaign aims to address this challenge by enforcing payment compliance, recovering overdue revenue, and protecting the integrity of the city’s electricity network.
City Power reiterated that all customers, including private schools, businesses and other large power users, are required to pay their accounts in full and on time.
“Failure to do so will result in decisive enforcement action without exception, including disconnection of supply where necessary,” the utility said.
This article has been updated with Curro’s response to the matter. The full response is included below:
Curro responds
Curro confirms that a City Power team, accompanied by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, arrived at Curro Sagewood on the morning of 23 June 2026 and disconnected the school’s electricity supply without prior notice.
The disconnection was unlawful and power was restored within an hour.
In July 2021 Curro lodged a formal billing dispute with the City of Johannesburg regarding the amount claimed.
The dispute has been amplified with further substantiation and is supported by an independent expert report confirming that City Power’s billing is incorrect.
The alleged debt originated from clearance fees attributable to a previous property owner, which the City of Johannesburg improperly loaded onto Curro’s municipal account.
The amount was initially reversed by the City on its own records, only to be added back in subsequent invoices as purported unpaid utilities with no breakdown or substantiation provided.
During protracted engagement between the parties and their legal representatives since 2022, the City of Johannesburg’s own authorised officials agreed that the amount in question was not owed by Curro and that the dispute should be resolved accordingly.
The City has failed to honour that undertaking.
In 2025, having exhausted all administrative avenues, Curro instructed its attorneys to approach the High Court to compel the City to give effect to what its own officials had agreed. That application is pending.
The City indicated it would oppose but has not filed any papers and Curro has applied for a set-down date.
It is in these circumstances, with a formally registered dispute and pending High Court proceedings, that City Power disconnected electricity supply to a functioning school.
The school’s Executive Head presented documented proof of the live dispute to the disconnection team on site. The team refused to consider it and proceeded.
Curro’s legal representatives contacted the City’s attorneys, and supply was restored within the hour.
Curro pays all current monthly municipal charges for electricity and water punctually and in full. There are no arrears on current consumption.
The only amount withheld is the disputed sum, which is ringfenced in accordance with the Municipal Systems Act pending finalisation of the dispute.
During the brief disconnection, the school operated on backup power and no teaching or learning was disrupted.
Curro notes that while the disconnection and reconnection occurred on 23 June, City Power chose to issue a media statement on 24 June that contains statements that are factually incorrect and reputationally damaging.
Curro is pursuing all available remedies in respect of the unlawful disconnection and the City’s continued failure to resolve this matter through the processes it agreed to.
Curro always pays what it legitimately owes.
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