A community of Ventersdorp, with a population of mostly unemployed people, found relief last Friday when the executive mayor, Kgotso Khumalo promised that the 95/5 credit control would be suspended from Monday, 3 September.
The contentious 95/5 electricity policy meant that when someone who is in arrears spends R100 on electricity, that person only gets R5 worth of electricity and the rest goes towards settling the overdue account. The person, therefore, will receive about 3.4 kilowatts.
This policy has led to countless protests, including one last week that saw clinics, schools and the municipality building being closed.
Addressing about 700 residents last Friday, the mayor said the J.B. Marks municipality would suspend the 95/5 credit control policy for a period of three months, from September to November 2018. He also promised rigorous public consultations on the matter.
In addition, he said they would register those who are unemployed or pensioners or cannot afford to pay because they earn an income of less than R3 200 on the indigent database.
‘All those who can afford to pay, including all business people and farmers must do so. If they are in arrears, they must come forward and make an arrangement to pay. Everyone who has a problem with their billing must come forward so it can be investigated and rectified; our staff members are well trained in this field,’ he said.
He added that they will also conduct research into the economic situation in the Ventersdorp region for a period of 90 days.
‘All of these commitments will be subject to a special council meeting for a decision. I will request the speaker to convene a meeting as per the rules of order and will communicate the council decision to the residents,’ he vowed.
Khumalo also undertook to look into the 95/5 policy in Potchefstroom.
Among some of the demands in the memorandum was the N14 mall development. Khumalo pledged that the development would continue and create jobs in the poverty-stricken area. He reminded his audience that between 600 and 800 VIP toilets have already been built in some villages in Ventersdorp.
Other demands were the resignation of the Ventersdorp councillors and the reversal of the merger.
The mayor says there will be a meeting in Ventersdorp on 16 September when the councillors will respond to the grievances of the community, including service delivery.
‘The community has asked the premier to talk to the president about the reversal of the merger because they say it is not benefiting Ventersdorp,’ he said.
