The battle between City Power and Curro Sagewood School has taken a dramatic turn after the utility was forced to publicly retract key claims it made about the private school’s alleged R9.3m debt.

In a court-ordered corrective statement on Friday, City Power acknowledged the account has been the subject of an unresolved municipal billing dispute since 2021 and withdrew any suggestion Curro was a delinquent customer, reports The Star.

The corrective statement follows a 24 July judgment by the Gauteng High Court (Johannesburg) after City Power disconnected electricity to Curro Sagewood School in Noordwyk in June over what it said was an outstanding municipal debt.

Although electricity was restored shortly afterwards under a court order, the dispute proceeded to the High Court, resulting in the utility being directed to issue the public correction. 

Curro disputed City Power’s claim it owed more than R9.3m, maintaining the amount formed part of a municipal billing dispute dating back to 2021 rather than unpaid electricity consumption.

The school said it had remained up to date with its current municipal accounts and described the disconnection as unlawful, adding electricity was restored within an hour after its legal team intervened.

Curro also argued that the disputed amount related to clearance fees allegedly linked to a previous property owner and had already become the subject of High Court proceedings.

The court process has now resulted in City Power publicly conceding that critical context.

Full report in The Star