Almost R400m in revenue lost – and that’s just from electricity losses. Actual revenue collection, slammed by the auditor-general earlier this year for being at only 94%, has also fallen short by R92m.

And efforts to reduce the water leaks have also failed, with water losses unchanged from 2018 at just under 44%. According to a report on the city’s finances, the losses have been on an upward trajectory for the past four years. What a parlous state of affairs!..