AfriForum is urging the Govan Mbeki Municipality (GMM) to act against municipal councillors whose accounts are in arrears. Jan du Plessis, the chairperson of AfriForum in Secunda, delivered a letter to the municipality on August 13.

In this letter addressed to municipal manager Elliot Maseko, AfriForum responded to a notice the GMM sent out, informing residents about credit control measures.

On August 5, the municipality issued a public notice stating that it would be implementing credit control and debt collection procedures for accounts in arrears. This initiative aims to ensure that all outstanding money owed to the GMM is collected in full, allowing for the proper delivery of services to the community.

It further stated that customers can make arrangements with the GMM for arrear accounts, and that the credit control and debt collection policy lets the municipality restrict, disconnect or discontinue any services if ot receives no payment.

AfriForum, in its letter, asked that the same measures be applied to municipal staff and councillors whose accounts are in arrears. Some of these accounts range from R44 000 to more than R90 000, with some staff and councillors’ last paying in 2024.

Hennie Bekker, AfriForum’s district co-ordinator for Mpumalanga, stated in the letter: “The municipality cannot punish residents if the people who serve them are not being held accountable as well. We request proof that the municipality has acted against these officials so that we can ensure it acts fairly and justly.”

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