New city manager promises ‘optimal’ billing system
Mayor Randall Williams says the new manager will prioritise stabalising the municipality’s finances and ensure the Eskom account is fully paid as the power utility threatens to cut Tshwane power.
Tshwane metro’s newly appointed city manager has promised that the municipality would make sure it has an “optimal” billing system, as residents have for a long time complained about incorrect bills.
Johann Mettler, a former Nelson Mandela Bay metro city manager, was appointed Tshwane manager recently despite opposition by the ANC and EFF.
At a media briefing on Monday, Mettler said improving the revenue collection system was among his top priorities. Mettler said this was not to increase rates but to ensure that the system, which is one of the major financial contributors to the municipality, works “optimally”.
“Revenue collection is not about raising service charges or taxes. One must understand what the components of the revenue are and then make sure that those components operate optimally,” Mettler said.
Pretoria residents’ problems with the billing system are a long-standing issue and got worse during the Covid-19 lockdown when the metro relied on estimations for billing. The Public Protector also previously raised concerns about the metro’s billing system.
In October 2020, Public Protector advocate Busisiwe Mkhwebane directed the metro to write off resident Gerda van Schalkwyk’s bill.
The bill skyrocketed to over R250 000 due to an underground leak, while the metro sent inaccurate billing for eight months in 2015 despite complaints from her.
Van Schalwyk’s water bills were based on 200-day estimates that Mkhwebane found to have been illegal. Mkhwebane said there should be an investigation into the overall system.
Tshwane mayor Randall Williams welcomed Mettler.
He said that the metro had not had a permanent manager for three years and this “significantly compromised the ability of the metro to ensure it delivers on its mandate”.
He said one of Mettler’s jobs would be to stabilise the municipality’s finances.
“To stabilise the finances of the metro is crucial. Thereafter, ensuring that we can balance our situation while ensuring that we adequately deliver on service delivery,” Williams said.
In a recent Auditor General report, the metro was among the 28% of municipalities in a dire financial position. Due to financial problems, the municipality has been struggling to pay creditors such as Eskom.
On average, the power utility bills the metro R1.3-billion per month for electricity used and the municipality has, month after month had problems, paying on time.
Last month, Eskom said it was considering disconnecting power to Tshwane because the municipality owes it R1.6-billion in outstanding payments.
Williams said the metro was settling the outstanding debt and has in the past weeks paid millions towards this R1.6-billion.
“We are fully committed to ensuring that we service the bill. Going forward, we want to make sure that we better manage the payments with Eskom as we stabilise the city’s finances,” he said.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
