Nie Cele
Nokuzola Ngubane
Johannesburg Executive Mayor, Dr Mpho Phalatse has issued a stern warning to defaulting and delinquent rate payers to pay up their outstanding accounts or face the music.
Phalatse was speaking during her maiden State of the City address in Braamfontein.
At first the mayor expressed her wish about a well-run cityarguing that building a City of Golden Opportunities costs money, and regardless of the constrained economic environment in which the city find itself.
“ We are still obligated by law to deliver services to all residents of the City.
“With a loan market that is averse to lending money to municipalities, shrinking grants from the Provincial and National spheres, and a lack of liquidity in the market, the Multi-Party Government is looking at alternative funding schemes.”
She also hinted Finance MMC, Julie Suddaby, will soon be embarking on an investor road show to raise the necessary funds and attract much-needed investment to fund, among other things, the City’s infrastructure projects.
On a lighter and positive note she acknowledged that residents, businesses, and Government Departments have been responsive to the Buya Mthetho campaign and have started to come forward to pay their outstanding municipal bills.
The mayor appreciated the uptick in services payments since January 2022; and pointed the city was currently exceeding its target of collecting R4-billion every month.
But she was quick to discharge a warning salvo to non payers.
“We also need residents to pay monies owed to the City. In this regard, we have enhanced our revenue collection programme through Operation Buya Mthetho.
“Delinquent ratepayers who simply do not pay, despite having the means, and who ignore pre-termination notices from the City, will have their services cut-off. Our revenue team conducts up to 1,000 disconnections daily,” she said.
Phalatse also acknowledged the economy has not been kind to all residents, especially over the last two-years due to the global pandemic.
“We have re-instituted the Debt Rehabilitation Programme, which aims to assist defaulting customers to bring their outstanding municipal accounts up to date.
“ Qualifying customers will receive a 50% debt write-off, with a further write-off on the outstanding debt over a three-year period, if they comply with all the conditions associable with the programme. Council will soon be presented with a report recommending radical changes to the qualifying criteria. For example, a 100% of debt above 90 days will be written off where the applicant is a pensioner or registered indigent customer. We also asking Council to vote for the inclusion of Old Age Homes, Orphanages and Body Corporate account holders in the criteria,” she said.
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