Residents of Villa Relax in Margate have been without water for almost a month now. This is due to one unit having accumulated municipal debt amounting to approximately R173 000, and as a result, Ugu District Municipality has disconnected the water supply to the entire complex.

Afriforum’s Regional Head Jaco Grobbelaar, who spoke on behalf of the residents, said it is concerning that residents who have complied with their financial obligations are effectively being deprived of an essential municipal service because of the indebtedness of a single unit.

“The consequences are severe and unacceptable. The complex is home to several elderly residents, including a stage 4 cancer patient who urgently requires access to clean water for daily living and hygiene. Residents have reported that they are unable to flush toilets properly, resulting in unsanitary living conditions that have contributed to stomach illnesses and infections.”

He said that AfriForum urgently requests that the municipality immediately restore the water supply to the complex, engage with the defaulting owner to recover the outstanding municipal debt through the appropriate legal processes.

He also added that the municipality should provide a written confirmation of the steps it intends to take to resolve it as a matter of urgency.

According to Ugu, Villa Relax is supplied through a single bulk water meter, with the municipal account registered in the name of the body corporate, which is the municipality’s recognised customer.
Spokesperson for Ugu, Zimbini Mpurwana said the municipality therefore issues one consolidated municipal account to the body corporate and does not maintain individual water accounts for unit owners

“The municipality has no access to individual consumption or payment records, the allocation of water charges and collection of levies from individual owners remain the responsibility of the body corporate. Any disputes relating to individual payments are therefore internal matters between the body corporate and its members.”

Mpurwana said that with the municipality’s credit control and debt collection policy, municipal services may only be restored once the registered account holder (body corporate) either settles the outstanding municipal account or enters into an approved payment arrangement with the municipality and complies with the applicable conditions.

She added that the municipality’s contractual relationship exists with the body corporate and not individual unit owners.

“Consequently, any recovery of outstanding contributions from individual owners is the responsibility of the body corporate in terms of the sectional title arrangements. The municipality does not selectively restrict compliant residents. Where a sectional title development is supplied through a single bulk meter, any restriction applies to the registered municipal account, and the municipality is neither contractually nor technically able to isolate individual units from the common supply.”

HAVE YOUR SAY

Like the South Coast Herald’s Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram