BOTHA’S Hill residents are demanding answers over what they describe as dramatic increases in municipal rates, electricity and water bills, coupled with what they said is a lack of meaningful assistance from the municipality.

Some residents claim their monthly rates have increased drastically within just a few months, while others say their water consumption has been recorded at levels they believe are impossible given their household circumstances.

They said repeated attempts to obtain answers through emails, municipal offices, roadshows and public meetings have left them frustrated and increasingly concerned about transparency and accountability.

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One resident, Leigh van Rooyen, who recently purchased a property, said their monthly rates had increased from approximately R850 to R2 174 in just five months.

“There have been no upgrades done to the property in 10 years,” the resident said. “I have canvassed the whole street and we are the only property being charged these kinds of rates.”

Van Rooyen said they had repeatedly contacted the municipality and visited municipal offices but had been unable to get a satisfactory explanation. “I have mailed on many occasions; I have been in to our local offices numerous times and nobody ever answers nor can help me,” she said.

The resident also raised concerns about properties allegedly being billed using estimated readings rather than actual consumption.

“I submit our readings, or the municipal guys come and take the readings, and we are charged on an ‘estimate’ every month. So we are being charged according to the previous owner’s usage and not our own.”

Water bills questioned

Another resident, Lungisani Ndlovu, said ongoing water outages had been increased and they believe it contributes to an inaccurate water reading.

According to Ndlovu, their area had experienced at least 10 days without water during the previous month. Despite this, their bill reportedly showed consumption of 28 kilolitres, almost three times their usual monthly usage of around 10 kilolitres.

The resident said they had also been away from home for several days during the billing period. “We have never ever in all the years of owning a house, both here and in JHB, used 28kl of water per month,” he said.

The resident questioned whether air entering the water system after prolonged outages could affect meters. “We have been told the air surges after a water outage of four days, which happens regularly to us, causes the air to pass through the meter and pushes up your metering without actually having used the water,” said the concerned Ndlovu.

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The residents argued that they should not be held responsible for consumption they did not actually use.

eThekwini Municipality has rejected the suggestion that there is a general billing system problem across the city.

Municipal marketing and communications spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila said accounts are calculated according to individual customer consumption, property valuations and applicable tariffs and charges.

“eThekwini Municipality would like to clarify that there is no general billing system issue within the Municipality,” said Mzila.

“The City does not discuss individual customer account details with third parties due to customer confidentiality requirements,” said the City’s spokesperson.

He advised residents experiencing problems to approach the municipality’s Revenue Services Directorate or their nearest Sizakala Centre, taking their municipal account and supporting documentation with them.

Mzila said customers who believe their accounts are incorrect will have their cases assessed to determine the cause of the charges and whether corrective action is required.

The municipality also urged residents who have not received assistance through the initial channels to ensure that their complaints are formally logged and escalated through the appropriate Revenue Services processes.

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