Lerato Serero

SEDIBENG. – Although the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) recently reported to have terminated its contract with Munnik Basson and Dagama (MBD) Inc, it seems that the company continues to do work for the municipality.

According to the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Kingsol Chabalala, who is the DA Constituency Head in Emfuleni North, a vast number of municipal account holders still claim, to them, that MBD is threatening them with letters and SMSs demanding payment.

Sedibeng Ster reported last week that ELM, through its mayoral spokesperson Lebo Mofokeng, said that it had terminated its contract with MBD, a service provider that was contracted by the municipality to provide debt collection services.

Mofokeng told Sedibeng Ster that the termination was like many others that ELM Executive Mayor Jacob Khawe had ordered to be reviewed.

“The process has unfolded and soon the community will be informed on the progress after the exhaustion of all needed processes,” she told Sedibeng Ster.

Contradicting this statement, Chabalala said that despite ELM making a public announcement that its residents must pay their municipal accounts directly to the municipality, residents are still receiving communication from MBD debt collectors demanding payment.

“The DA strongly believes that it is the responsibility of the municipality to ensure that MBD debt collectors refrain from threatening residents.

“This cash-strapped ANC-led Emfuleni Municipality which has been placed under administration, is now solely dependent on revenue collection to fund service delivery. The residents of Emfuleni have suffered enough under the failed ANC-led administration and they are in dire need of change that only the DA can bring,” he said. At the time of going to print Sedibeng Ster was awaiting response from Mofokeng about new developments on the matter.