A KwaDukuza resident has accused the iLembe District Municipality of mishandling his 74-year-old father’s water account, despite the family participating in the municipality’s Rand-for-Rand debt-relief programme.

The district said the family did not meet the payment conditions to qualify for the write-off.

Nkululeko Sithole said his father, Dumisani Sithole, who is illiterate, was misled by unclear terms, unexplained charges and a lack of communication from municipal officials.

Launched in late 2023 and reintroduced this month, the Rand-for-Rand scheme allows residents to settle municipal arrears by paying half of their debt, with the other half written off – provided certain conditions are met.

Sithole said his father, who fell into arrears while caring for his bedridden wife, paid R1 069.44 every month for a year, expecting the balance to be halved. But in January, the family was dismayed to learn that the outstanding balance still exceeded R5 000.

“They claimed my father agreed to new terms printed on a pamphlet. But how can an illiterate man consent to something he doesn’t understand?” said Sithole.

He also raised broader concerns, including the lack of signed agreements, a shortage of meter readers in areas such as Groutville and Thembeni and the municipality’s ongoing reliance on estimated readings, which he says has distorted billing.

Democratic Alliance caucus leader Krsna Sing said many residents had expressed similar frustrations.

“Estimated billing has created chaos. We are calling for a customer-submission platform for readings and the rollout of smart prepaid meters,” said Sing.

He confirmed that a new Rand-for-Rand scheme is now active, running until August 31 next year, and has been improved to try to prevent similar problems from recurring. He urged residents with debt older than 60 days to apply.

Responding to the allegations, iLembe’s revenue manager, Muziwandile Gumede, said the customer did not meet the monthly requirements to qualify.

“The fixed payment plan they followed did not align with their consumption. To qualify, customers must fully service their current account plus the agreed instalments within 12 months,” said Gumede.

He added that programme terms were advertised, explained by frontline staff, and displayed at municipal offices. Residents without regular meter readers are encouraged to send photo readings via WhatsApp or email, in line with the municipality’s customer care policy.

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