THE Polokwane mayor, Freddy Greaver has urged residents who are not able to pay their municipal accounts to register for the municipality’s indigent support programme.
Greaver was speaking at the city cluster 2014/15 draft Integrated Development Plan and budget consultation that was held at the Jack Botes Hall last Wednesday.
He said there were still families who had inherited debt from their parents and these families were advised to register for indigent support.
“Council resolved to write off the debts of indigents as of June 2013.
“Therefore, in a situation where the property owner is deceased, we urge the remaining dependents to apply for indigent status if they are not working, or depend on social grants,” Greaver said.
The indigent support programme is intended to give financial support in respect of municipal accounts to households who earn less than R5 400 a month.
Households within the jurisdiction of the Polokwane Municipality who qualify for the programme are urged to come to the municipality’s main building on the corner of Landdros Maré and Bodenstein Street to complete an official application form.
The indigent support programme is expected to assist mostly poor and child-headed households within the Polokwane municipality’s jurisdiction.
The programme will only apply to permanent residents of Polokwane who are South African citizens.
The indigent subsidy is funded from the “equitable share” contribution received from the national treasury, said Greaver.
An amount from the municipality’s own income as budgeted for in the financial year in question is also added.
Qualifying households will receive the following subsidy per month:
• 100% of the basic levy for sewerage per month for one service point.
• 100% of the basic levy for refuse removal for one service point per month.
• 6kl of water and 100KW/h of electricity for free every month.
The following items must accompany the application: the latest municipal account of the household, proof of the account holder’s identity and proof of income of the account holder, such as a letter from his or her employer, salary slip or envelope, pension card, Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) card, or a certificate to confirm registration as a job-seeker.
