A temporary shortage of printer cartridges at the Springs customer care centre left some residents unable to obtain printed municipal account statements, forcing them to rely on handwritten payment amounts or digital copies.

A 59-year-old Springs resident told the Springs Advertiser that she was left frustrated after being unable to obtain a printed municipal account statement from the Springs Customer Care Centre for two consecutive months.

The resident, who prefers paying her municipal account in person each month, said she first encountered the problem when she visited the centre in June.

“I still pay my water and electricity account the old-fashioned way. We do not receive statements in the post anymore, so every month I go to the Springs Service Centre, collect my statement and then pay my account,” said the resident.

However, during her June visit, the staff were unable to print her statement. When she asked why, she was told they didn’t have any paper. When she returned in July, she was again unable to receive a printed statement.

“This time they told me they did not have printer cartridges. I was given the amount I owed written on a piece of paper, but not the actual statement.”

She added that although staff eventually offered to email the statement to her during her second visit, she was concerned about residents who are not comfortable using digital services.

“I was surprised they actually emailed it to me, but there are many older people who still rely on printed statements,” she said.

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The city’s spokesperson Zweli Dlamini confirmed there had been a problem but said it had since been resolved that normal printing services have resumed.

“We had a problem in the past month, but the issue is now resolved,” he said, adding that the disruption was caused by delays in the delivery of printer cartridges.

Dlamini said residents could still access their municipal statements through its digital platforms while the printing issue was being addressed.

“We encourage our customers to register on www.e-siyakhokha.co.za. Customers can view and print their statements, but that does not exclude customers from registering on the platform. The City of Ekurhuleni is moving towards being a digital city,” he concluded.

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