Pretoria residents brace the Covid-19 pandemic to ‘incorrect’ billing solutions

Scores of residents could be seen standing outside the offices to either make payment arrangements or lodge complaints, Pretoria Rekord reports.

Some residents have been served with billing statements after five months of non-delivery of statements.

Although many of the residents voiced dissent with the metro’s billing system, some said they felt compelled to pay the bills to avoid being cut off.

Many said the metro’s “red demand letters” gave them sleepless nights.

Despite the metro having said the billing system was in good standing many residents believed otherwise.

Former ward 42 councillor and electrical engineer Phillip Nel, who has for years analysed the metro’s billing system, said it was flawed and needed to be fixed.

“It is not possible that hundreds of people cry of incorrect billing and the metro believes there is nothing wrong with the system,” Nel said.

“Over the years, the incorrect bills have been a headache to many families in Pretoria.”

“The best way of controlling municipal accounts is by registering on e-Tshwane at www.e-tshwane.co.za,” he said.

“It allows direct access to current and archived (historical) statements and meter readings.

“A second option is to send meter readings on the due date and using the template to meterrecords@tshwane.gov.za.

“The best start for resolving disagreements is to report it immediately and negotiate a hold on that portion of the account.”

Nel said following level 3 of Covid-19 hard lockdown, the metro may not have captured all the readings sent through by residents via online platforms due to shortages of staff and might have relied on estimations.

One of the residents, Danie Beetge, accounted to Rekord of his experience at the municipal offices last week.

“I was part of several hundred persons that came through the gates and the larger majority had to stand in one of at least two queues,” Beetge said.

“I left those offices at 20:00 that evening, and there were still people waiting to be assisted.

“As far as I am concerned, this was a situation created by the municipality itself.

“Anybody who would take the time to look at the long queues, which have been more or less constant for the last two weeks, would ask the question – what went wrong?”

Resident Deiza Malose believed the metro was “shifting” its finical burden to residents.

“The metro has no money to pay now they are billing residents these ridiculous amounts. Tshwane metro is bankrupt, so to recoup money it disconnected electricity indiscriminately to thousands of residents, even residents who paid their accounts,” Malose claimed.

Another resident Solomon Mthimunye, who stood in the queue for hours, at the credit control offices in Pretoria last Friday, said he feared for his health.

“I am upset because I am forced to stand in this line because the metro cut my electricity already without any warning.

“Even though I have underlying diseases I have to come here to solve the matter so the metro can restore my power,” he said.

Sanelisiwe Ntuli was at the municipal offices to make payment arrangements as his power had been cut off.

“I am concerned over my health but there is no other place where I can get assistance other than here. We wish the metro could improve their online platforms so people can get assistance without having to wait [in queues] for long hours.”

The Tshwane metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo refuted allegations of the metro billing the residents “incorrectly” to pay the workers, saying this wasn’t allowed.

On the issue of affordability, Mashigo said in a bid to relieve debt-ridden customers the metro had introduced an incentive and relief programme aimed at enabling its customers to bring their municipal accounts up to date.

He said the programme offered a decrease in account payments and writes off interest charges for customers who are in arrears.

“A payment application form is accessible on the website and at customer care centres,” Mashigo said.

“A payment illustration document is also available for customers to compare the different options.”

On the state of the billing system, Rekord was referred to a previous statement issued by the metro which said there was nothing wrong with the system.

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