POLOKWANE – The Polokwane Municipality has approved the implementation of the 2025/26 Debt Incentive Scheme to support customers in settling outstanding municipal debt and to strengthen a culture of responsible payment.

Municipal spokesperson Thipa Selala confirmed in a media release that this incentive will affect all residents, businesses, places of worship and public benefit organisations and through this initiative, the municipality aims to ease the financial burden on customers affected by economic pressures, promote regular payment compliance, accelerate revenue collection to sustain service delivery and clean up historic and uncollectable accounts with the proviso that this relief programme will run for 12 months.

The good payers incentive will provide for a 10% discount for two consecutive months (excluding water and electricity consumption) for accounts paid on time for the past 12 months, while the illegal connection penalty relief will be a 100% write-off of billed meter-tampering penalties as a once-off relief upon participation.

For estate accounts, there will be a 50% debt write-off on late estate accounts upon registration of the new owner/beneficiary at the Deeds Office and for prescribed debts a 100% write-off of qualifying prescribed inactive accounts that cannot legally be collected.

For the clearance-under-collection debt, a 100% write-off where all legal and recovery efforts have been unsuccessful, will be applicable.