'Our account is up to date, City of Tshwane cut off services illegally' - Gautrain

• On Monday, City of Tshwane officials cut off the water supply to the Hatfield Gautrain station claiming that it was owed approximately R10 million for services rendered to the station.
• They then cut off electricity supply to the station on Tuesday after it claimed that the Gautrain last paid its accounts in 2020.
• But Gautrain said that the Hatfield station has a pre-paid electricity meter and the account is not only up to date but in credit to the value of approximately R120 000.

The Gautrain on Tuesday afternoon said it did not owe the City of Tshwane money and that its services were cut off illegally. It planned on taking the municipality to court to force it to restore services. 

Gautrain spokesperson Kesagee Nayager said that without any prior notice, officials from the City of Tshwane first cut off water supply to the Hatfield Gautrain station claiming that it was owed approximately R10 million for services rendered to the station.

On Tuesday, the City cut off electricity supply to the station. Tshwane municipality claimed that the Gautrain last paid its accounts in 2020.

"The Hatfield Gautrain station has a pre-paid electricity meter and the account is not only up to date, but is, in fact, in credit to the value of approximately R120 000. The water account is similarly, up to date," Nayager said.

Nayager said the company had been trying without any success to contact the City to provide proof of the debt it claimed it was owed.

"Last night (Monday), the City's divisional head for revenue management shared a screengrab with us which reflects an account number that differs to the account number reflected on the notice to terminate services. The City has therefore illegally cut off services to the station.

"Based on information shared with staff at the station this morning, it appears that the screengrab sent to us last night may relate to rates and taxes. The properties upon which Gautrain stations are built have been acquired by the Gauteng provincial government as a public transport project and in terms of Section 11 of the Gauteng Transport Infrastructure Act of 2001 (the GTIA).

"The Gauteng provincial government proclaimed the necessary land rights to build and operate the Gautrain railway line over this property and therefore constitutes public transport infrastructure for the purposes of rates and taxes," she said.

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The Gautrain services urged the City of Tshwane to urgently reconnect the water and electricity supply to Hatfield station and to avail itself to meet so that they could obtain a full statement of account.

Nayager said they were currently using generators at the station.

"In the meantime, we will be approaching the court to urgently interdict the City to restore services to the station given its wrongful termination of services to Hatfield station."