POLOKWANE – Many residents allege that the Polokwane Municipality’s failure to deliver municipal accounts on time is costing them money.
Residents claim they receive their municipal accounts days after they are due to be paid and because the payment is late, they are placed in arrears.
The residents, all of whom wish to remain anonymous in case they are victimised, are also up-in-arms because the contact numbers provided by the municipality are reportedly not working.
“This is unacceptable and the municipality must seriously pull up its socks because this is bad service delivery. I tried calling the numbers on my water and electricity bill meant for enquiries, but either I get a busy tone, no answer or a message stating that the number does not exist,” one of the residents said.
Review tried calling the number provided by the municipality for water and lights account enquiries at (015) 290 2541 numerous times but the line is busy or there was no answer when it eventually rang.
Review also called the 24-hour municipal control centre at (015) 290 2000, and after holding for almost seven minutes, the consultant explained that the water and lights account enquiries number was changed and is now (015) 290 2931. However, when Review called this number several times, there was no answer.
Municipal spokesperson, Matshidiso Mothapo, said residents were responsible for municipal accounts and the payment thereof. “If your municipal bill does not reach you on time, it is your responsibility to contact the municipality and check how much you must pay before the cutoff date, and to ensure you don’t fall in arrears. You can do so by phone call, walk through or e-mail,” Mothapo said.
He urged residents to notify the municipality if they did not receive their bills on time, so that the municipality could follow up with the service provider who posts the accounts to clients.
“Residents must report numbers that are not working so that the municipality can investigate and correct the problem to ensure quality service is provided,” Mothapo urged.
