Mbombela Local Municipality’s (MLM) has implemented a new initiative to go green. It started sending out SMSes instead of bills printed on paper, but this has already left a few local residents hot under the collar.
A number resorted to social media to voice their irritation with MLM after receiving numerous messages on their cellphones.
Those were to inform the people that MLM would send statements electronically and not via the postal service. The municipality added that this new system would not only save time and money, but was also a greener option since they would no longer be using paper.
Although residents agreed that this was the smarter option, they were irritated with the avalanche of messages they received, sometimes more than one a day.
MLM spokesman, Mr Joseph Ngala
says the messages will now only be sent out once a month.
“We have consolidated our clients’ data, for now these are sent frequently due to the fact that we need to cover all clients and verify their details for a seamless operation going forward.” Ngala says residents have been reacting positively to the new system.
“The response has been very positive as this campaign not only is our way of going green but it also ensures that our clients get their statements immediately and gives them an opportunity to benefit from the incentive for good payers as they can settle their monthly accounts on time.”
Receivers of the messages noticed that there was no option to opt out. This, Ngala said, was a necessary measure.
“We believe that this is much-needed innovation by the municipality and our clients that, in the long-term, we will scrap sending postal statements completely. So we did not see the need for an ‘opt-out’ option.”
Some former residents said that it had been years since they left the city, yet they still received the notices.
“These were on our records, but as we said we would continue with data cleansing in those cases of people that had since moved away from our city,” Ngala concluded.