Struggling pensioners and indigent customers to get a recourse
Eligible customers are encouraged to apply at their nearest walk-in Customer Service Centre.
The City of Johannesburg has put measures in place to protect struggling pensioners and households with payment of their municipal accounts in the face of sluggish economic growth.
The city is calling on struggling pensioners and customers already on Expanded Social Package (ESP) to apply to be eligible to pay only a 10% deposit towards their total outstanding municipal debt when they enter payment arrangements with the City.
ESP customers are those who are unemployed or have limited income and already receive the basket of free services.
Other categories of eligible customers include domestic and residential sectional title customers. They can pay 30% deposit of their total outstanding debt when they enter a payment arrangement with the City. Eligible non-domestic accounts, including businesses, can qualify to pay a 50% deposit of their overall municipal debt when they make payment arrangements.
Kgamanyane Maphologela, director of customer communications for the city’s Group Finance Department, said the City is interested to ensure that struggling customers continue to receive municipal services such as electricity and water while they continue to make some payments towards those very same services.
“The city is aware of the financial situation faced by many households in Johannesburg. The payment arrangement is one of the interventions by the City, to try to assist our customers by ensuring that we keep their lights on and their water supply running. Cutting off municipal services is often the last resort by the city,” said Maphologela.
Maphologela said the city wishes more eligible customers can take full advantage of the city’s payment arrangement programme to benefit from it. Eligible customers are encouraged to apply at their nearest walk-in Customer Service Centre, or visit www.e-joburg.org.za/ to make online applications.
The information and documentation which will be required for those applying for payment arrangement (AOD) include:
• ID copy of the account holder
• Power of attorney in cases where account holders cannot do it themselves.
All property owners who are struggling to service their accounts for various reasons should approach the City, to avoid being cut off by making payment arrangements and signing an acknowledgement of debt.
Customers may pay using any of the listed methods below:
• With EasyPay, facilitating a quick payment option at many shops that you visit regularly, including Pick ‘n Pay and Shoprite Checkers
• Debit orders
• Direct deposits at major banks
• ATMs
• Internet and cell phone banking
• SA Post Office
• Any council pay point (customer service centre)
Customers who wish to make payment arrangements and do not wish to visit any of the abovementioned walk-in-centres may also contact the City’s Credit Control Department by emailing them on creditcontrol@joburg.org.za
