The Ekurhuleni Finance Department visited Phomolong Customer Care Centre to assist with billing problems.
On November 5 the residents flocked to the centre to make inquiries, make payment arrangements and to pay off debts.
Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality Divisional Head in Finance Support Services Ms Phumla Silinda said the visit was in line with the Ekurhuleni mayor’s commitment to address the billing matter identified during the mayoral visit in Phomolong.
She said the consultation happened over two days, November 4 and 5.
“The mayor sent us over to do specific analysis of the bills as they were reported by the community. We drew the statements and looked at them to establish the cause of the high billing,” said Ms Silinda.
She said in instances where water was identified as the cause of high billing, a team of contractors was sent out to check for leaking pipe and if any leakages were found the customer would be advised to fix and bring proof of the repairs.
Ms Silinda said thereafter customers’ water consumption will be closely monitored and any water billing discrepancy noticed will be rectified by water debt adjustments.
“If the owner is not registered for indigent we ask them to fix the leakages. If they are registered for indigent the municipality will then fix the leakages for them,” said Ms Silinda.
She said the adjustments will happen after three months following close monitoring of the customers accounts.
“There were complaints of electricity cuts due to non payments. We advised customers to open a payment arrangement which would enable debt repayment to happen over three months,” said Ms Silinda.
A 76-year-old resident said he was struggling to make payment arrangements or to apply for indigent status for a R9 734 bill
Mr Abel Retisi said he raised his problem but no one listened to him.
Her said he was told to pay because he receives a government grant and his wife is also a pensioner.
“I got help today. I am happy and I feel free. They said I must pay R275 for a period of 36 months,” said Mr Retisi.
He said he would like to thank the mayor and his team because they assisted the community in an attempt to curb crime.
Ms Silinda said residents must monitor their own accounts and if there are issues picked up they should be reported quickly.
South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) leader Mr Thomas “Bucaneer” Mabye said as an organisation they are not happy.
He condemned the municipality for bypassing community leadership structures and said billing is only one of many community concerns outlined in the memorandum handed over to the mayor.
“We are expecting the municipality to engage us on all the issues. To us the issues are all equally important,” said Mr Mabye.
He said they are going to have a public meeting where the leadership will report back to the community and table their own assessment of the municipality’s response.