Residents of the Merafong City Local Municipality could be at risk of being double-billed for traffic fines — a concern recently raised by Louis Nel, a resident of Fochville, who discovered that fines he had already paid were billed to him again.

“I know that I sometimes drive a bit too fast, but I always pay my outstanding fines,” said Nel. Like many residents, he pays his fines online via the national platform Fines SA and keeps careful records of his transactions.

Recently, however, Nel received new fine notifications from PayCity, another traffic fine payment website — this time with the Merafong City Local Municipality’s logo on the notices. Concerned, he checked the records and confirmed he had already paid those exact fines via Fines SA.

He went a step further by using his bank’s app to search for any outstanding fines linked to his ID number. Again, no unpaid fines appeared.

One of Nel’s vehicles is registered under a business name, yet the fines on PayCity were directly attributed to him — raising further red flags. “I’ve driven through a few roadblocks recently. If there were any outstanding fines, I would have been stopped. I even keep digital proof of payment with me,” he said.

His biggest worry is for vulnerable residents who may not have the means or digital savvy to verify their fine history. “I’m afraid that people, especially the elderly, might be intimidated into paying fines they’ve already settled. Someone needs to clarify what’s going on.”

Because the PayCity notices displayed Merafong’s official branding and the fines originated from the municipal area, The Herald approached the Merafong City Local Municipality for comment. Specifically, the paper asked if the issue may be the result of a system error or possibly even a scam targeting motorists.

However, the municipality’s marketing and communications manager, Temba Fezani, did not respond by the time of publication.

In the meantime, residents are advised to:

• Always keep proof of payment for fines.

• Cross-check fines between trusted platforms like Fines SA, PayCity, and their bank apps.

• Be wary of paying fines unless confirmed as outstanding.