Media coverage pays off as Bramley pensioner receives long-awaited municipal account
After nearly a year of follow-ups, repeated visits to the municipal offices, and ongoing reporting by Sandton Chronicle, Portia Nyathi has finally received her municipal statement under her name, bringing relief and renewed hope for her pensioner rebate application.
Bramley pensioner Portia Nyathi says she can finally sleep like a baby after receiving her municipal statement under her own name on February 13.
Nyathi, whose struggle to transfer the municipal statement which was under her and her late husband’s name, has been reported by Sandton Chronicle since December last year, most recently on February 4.
City of Johannesburg communications and stakeholder management director Kgamanyane Maphologela responded to the publication that the municipal rates account for Nyathi was successfully opened, and that the matter was duly attended to on October 2025. “The city dismisses claims that the request to open a municipal account in Ms Nyathi’s name was ignored or not processed. Following the passing of her husband, Ms Nyathi requested that the municipal account be transferred into her name. Once all the required documentation was submitted and verified, the rates department successfully opened the new rates account.
“City records indicate that Ms Nyathi formally logged the query with the city in September 2025, as reflected in the reference number provided to her. The new rates account was subsequently opened in October 2025.”
Nyathi visited the city offices in Sandton on February 13 and received her statement. “I went to the City of Johannesburg offices to get my statement under my name with a new account number. The lady who was helping me gave me the statement dated February 2026. I’m so happy.”
@caxtonjoburgnorth Bramley pensioner Portia Nyathi stands outside her home holding a copy of her new municipal account on February 15, 2026. Photo: Xoliswa Zakwe #Sandton #Municipal ♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North
Her relief follows months of confusion and repeated visits to various municipal offices. Nyathi said she is surprised by the city’s claims that her account was successful opened in October 2025. “I was surprised when they told the Sandton Chronicle that my statement issue was fixed in October 2025. Meanwhile, when I visited their Sandton offices in November to do a follow up and check if my statement would come out, it didn’t. They said I should come back on the first week of December and still it didn’t come out.”
She added that, on January 27, she visited the 8th Avenue customer service centre in Alexandra to check whether her statement would reflect under her name, but again, there was no statement available. “Why would I have bothered myself on going to the city offices if my statement came out in October?”
Maphologela said the city has observed that many customers do not update their contact details when opening municipal accounts or when changes occur. “This may result in statements not being received, missed payments, billing disputes, and, in some instances, service interruptions. Customers are encouraged to ensure that the following contact details are up to date, including primary and alternative cellphone numbers, landline number, where applicable, and an email address, for receiving electronic statements.”
Nyathi said her details were updated. “I sent everything to them in April 2025 and I’ve been waiting for the statement to be under my name since then.”
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Nyathi said receiving her statement has lifted a heavy emotional burden. “I’m so happy. Sandton Chronicle, you have helped me so much. I can even sleep at night. On Friday I slept like a baby. I’m so happy. I don’t know how can I thank you.”
She added that she was also properly assisted regarding the city’s pensioner benefits for the first time. “The lady who was assisting me before was not explaining how the pensioner rebate works, but the lady who assisted me on Friday explained everything and gave me the forms. She said, I must fill them in and bring them back to her to assist me with the pensioner rebate.
“I’m relieved, because I’ve got my statement and soon, I’ll be paying the same amount of money as other pensioners in the city.”
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