Gogo told to pay more than R2 000 because she receive two pensions

While Gogo Thandi Mahlangu (74) thought that she would be enjoying her elderly life at her home, but it was not to be.

Gogo Mahlangu said she has, like most of the elderly people been paying their municipality accounts without fail.
Her trouble started on August 1 when she received an account for July that she must pay R2 856. 03, previously she used to pay an amount of R200. She took the matter to her councillor who in turn in helping her took all the documents to the council. She was informed by her councillor that she need to pay an amount of R700 and make an agreement to pay the balance of the whole amount.

“I was told that my subsidy has been reversed because I receive my pension from Eskom as well as the government grant from the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA),” explained Ms Mahlangu.

Ms Mahlangu was referred to one of the rooms at the municipality and she was told she needed to fill an agreement form and bring along a three month bank statement and a SASSA card and must bring all the documents to the municipality. She was later told to pay an amount of R500 in cash and fill the agreement form and make arrangements to pay the balance.

Gogo Thandi Mahlangu (74) holding the municipal statement signalling that she must pay R2 856. 03. She use to pay R200 all along and she was subsidised.

An official at the municipality explained that this was a new programme introduced not only to Gogo Mahlangu but all the residents of the city. The cross check enables the municipality to check the income of the individuals. It was further explained that it was not only Gogo Mahlangu affected but a lot of other people. Even then, Gogo Mahlangu still receives lower rates on basic water (R47, 88), basic sewer (R27, 70) refusal (R63, 21,) and lower on taxes and rates as a pensioner.

It was further explained that some people do not understand how the cross check works but they received an explanation on how it works but once they visit the municipality they get a clear explanation. That they are pensioners who receive only the government grant and they manage to pay their account and that Gogo Mahlangu was punished not because she has two pensions but because of the cross check programme and it affects everybody.

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