It’s no secret that the City of Johannesburg’s billing system is in bad shape, but residents often don’t know how it became so bad or what the problem actually is.
We asked the MMC for Finance, Dr Rabelani Dagada, to clear up a few things.
The crisis, the MMC said, began when 16 independent councils amalgamated to form the City of Johannesburg some 17 years ago. When the revenue collection software was upgraded to streamline operations, the process was bungled, resulting in glitches in its rollout.
“Customers began receiving inflated and inaccurate municipal accounts for rates and services. Resource mismanagement in the revenue department is also to blame for having perpetuated the crisis,” Dagada explained.
This historical problem has since created a backlog in the operations of the revenue department. The Executive Mayor, Herman Mashaba recently said he would take full responsibility for the lingering crisis.
Dagada added that the city’s vision is to deliver a financially sustainable and well-run city, in a caring and professional manner. This would happen, he said, through enhanced customer experience.
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