The Tshwane Metro has begun reversing incorrect cleansing charges on thousands of municipal accounts.

According to the metro, the billing system error affected about 12 000 customers, less than 2% of the city’s total customer base.

MMC for Environment and Agriculture Management Obakeng Ramabodu said a dedicated technical and finance task team was appointed to fix the anomaly and prevent it from recurring.

“The billing system has been successfully reconfigured to ensure cleansing charges apply only to qualifying accounts, specifically those that do not receive municipal waste collection,” Ramabodu said.

He confirmed that corrective action was well underway and that affected accounts had been updated to stop the erroneous billing and process reversals.

Residents who already paid the charges will receive credits, not cash refunds, which will reflect on their October and November statements.

“Each adjustment is being individually verified to ensure accuracy and fairness,” Ramabodu added, also apologising to residents for the inconvenience caused.

However, the DA said residents are still being double-billed despite the metro’s assurances.

DA Tshwane spokesperson for finance Jacqui Uys accused the administration of failing to follow through on their promises to reverse the unlawful waste levy charges.

“Despite clear commitments to reverse the unlawful waste levy charges against thousands of sectional title owners, the metro has failed to act,” Uys said.

“Let us be clear: these charges are illegal. The city admitted the mistake publicly and undertook to fix it. Yet, residents have once again received accounts reflecting the same unlawful amounts.”

Uys said many residents who paid in good faith have been billed again, and refund requests remain unanswered.

“No acknowledgements, no reference numbers, no refunds,” she said.

The DA has called for the immediate reversal of the unlawful charges and urged the mayor to take personal accountability for resolving the billing crisis.

The city maintains that all affected accounts will be corrected and verified by November, with clear communication to follow once reversals are finalised.

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