Joburg billing crisis: City shows contempt for the poor

This morning I visited Ms Mapule Matsinhe, a resident of Cosmo City who received a R1.5 million rates bill from the City of Johannesburg. I have committed to helping her resolve her billing dispute with the City.

As someone who has personally suffered the victimisation of this unfair and illogical billing crisis, I fully understand the frustration that Ms Matsinhe, and so many other Johannesburg residents are feeling. I am deeply angered at the way that Ms Matsinhe has been treated by the City. 

In this instance, an obviously incorrect R1.5 million rates bill was first received by the Matsinhe family roughly one year ago. Now the City has resent the bill to them; and to make matters worse the Matsinhes have received a termination notice from the City, threatening to cut off their water and electricity if they do not pay the R1.5 million "arrears".

Ms Matsinhe explained to me that she has attempted to resolve the situation with the City of Johannesburg on numerous occasions, but that the City refused to accept that her R1.5 million bill was incorrect; and that the termination of her electricity and water connection is to go ahead. 

This is outrageous. The City is about to cut off the water and electricity to a poor family who obviously have not spent that amount, and who rely on the services they receive from the City for their daily lives.  

This shows the City of Johannesburg's contempt for the poor, and lack of empathy for the financial pressures that South African families are currently enduring. Any sensible, empathetic and responsible administration would apologise for the mess and withdraw the termination notice. It is extraordinary that the City would continue to pursue a termination notice even though the fault obviously lies on their side.

The City clearly is not able to administer its electronic billing system properly. If this same bill can reappear after a year, it means that the City's IT system is still not functioning and that the billing crisis is far from over. And if a City is not able to manage its finances properly, it will never be able to deliver services to the people.

I will take up this issue with the City of Johannesburg's Finance Department. Ms Matsinhe's termination notice must be withdrawn immediately and this R1.5 million bill must be removed from the system.

The City must apologise to Ms Matsinhe and the thousands of other residents who have had problems with their bills. It cannot pretend that the roadmap to solving the billing crisis is working, when the billing system is in fact still causing havoc in the lives of residents like Ms Matsinhe.

Statement issued by Mmusi Maimane, DA National Spokesperson, May 8 2012

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