Merafong City residents frustrated by ongoing municipal account errors and poor communication
Residents are fed-up with the Merafong City Local Municipality.
The Merafong City Local Municipality’s inability to sort out the problems with municipal accounts is angering many ratepayers. Even the accounts of residents who didn’t have problems before, are incorrect. In one instance, a resident received an account for the property rates on their garage only. “My account was up to date last month and I have been sending photos of my readings since August. Now, all of a sudden, my account is in arrears with R7 000,” one Carletonville resident complains.
“Their system is messed up. I was in shock last week when I went to get my statement and saw that I have two accounts. How on earth did they manage to do that, because it is the same house? The accounts have different amounts as well,” another resident lamented.
“Every month we receive wrong and incomplete accounts. The frustration, irritation and negativity toward the municipality – we can’t put it into words! It destroys all goodwill and trust in the municipality. It overshadows the good work that is taking place after years of neglect and corruption,” a loyal ratepayer, Bernard Fischer, said in a letter he shared on social media.
He asked his ward councillor Carl Steenekamp to forward it to the municipal manager, Dumisani Mabuza.
Fischer put what many other residents are feeling into words when he noted that it has become a ‘monthly outing’ to the municipal offices to try to sort out the problems.
“It is disturbing for everybody, especially the elderly, pensioners and even those that are working full-time. They simply don’t have the time to try and sort things out.” He also complained that the municipal email address readings@merafong.gov.za is not working and pleaded with the municipality to start communicating with the public.
Fochville residents also experience similar problems.
“I probably received 60 calls today from people who wanted help because their accounts are incorrect,” a well-known resident, Corne van der Merwe, complained on Monday. He noted that residents sometimes have to queue for six hours to have their own readings captured on the system, only for it to be wrong again the next month.The Herald took the issues to the municipality, but their marketing and communications manager, Temba Fezani, did not respond.
