Resident struggles to get answers from CoE
Groenewald was charged three times for metro services because her house is built across three erven.
After almost a year, Geduld resident Shannon Groenewald is still waiting for answers from the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) regarding charging her three times the normal amount for services.
This is despite sending more than 30 emails to the CoE requesting an explanation.
Last April, Groenewald told the Advertiser how she was shocked when she received her municipal account, which was triple the amount she usually pays.
When she queried it with the CoE, she was told the municipality would now be charging per erf the property is on and not per property.
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Groenewald’s property is built across three erven, hence she was charged three times.
She believes this is grossly unfair and unaffordable for many, especially her neighbours, some of whom are pensioners and on a fixed income.
“The metro cannot possibly expect us to pay three times for services that we only receive once. We have one house and one bin, the rest is a garden.
“This is taking food out of pensioners’ mouths,” said Groenewald last year.
When Groenewald asked the metro if there was any way in which the bill could be reduced, she was told she could consolidate her erven into one property.
However, the process to do this costs over R20 000, which she says she simply does not have.
Groenewald says nothing has changed since and the situation has worsened.
The CoE has charged Groenewald and other affected residents interest on the additional accounts they have not paid.
They have handed over Groenewald and other residents’ accounts to lawyers and threatened them with a summons.
Groenewald said their objection against the CoE is that in the past building across more than one erf was permissible.
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“The former town councils encouraged developers to erect bigger buildings on more than one of the adjoining small stands owned by the same owner. They allowed buildings to be built over the boundaries of stands when approving the building plans.”
When The Advertiser contacted the CoE to ask why it had not responded to our query sent last year regarding this matter, a CoE media relations official replied; “Your query was received during lockdown last year but I just forwarded it to the relevant department for comment.
“As soon as they reply, it will be forwarded to you.”
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