Residents urged to pay

In his State of the Nation Address (SONA) speech, President Cyril Ramaphosa has sent the clarion call to residents to pay for services rendered by municipalities.

Ramaphosa warned that Eskom was in a crisis, and posed a great risk to the country’s economic wellbeing.

“We need to take steps to reduce municipal non-payment and confront the culture of non-payment that exists in some communities,” he said.

The president said it was of vital importance that all those who use electricity, should pay for it.

One such municipality that is confronted by the culture of non-payment in the Waterberg region, is the Modimolle-Mookgophong Municipality.

Due to this challenge, the municipality is struggling to pay its creditors, among others Eskom.

On Tuesday 12 February, The BEAT spoke to Mayor Marlene Van Staden about the situation in the Modimolle-Mookgophong Municipality.

“Our municipality is struggling with non-payment. Our collection rate is about 65%. It is shockingly low. In the Western Cape the collection rate averages between 95%and 99%,” she said.

Van Staden said every consumer had the responsibility to pay for the municipal services which they consume.

Van Staden said if everyone who affords can pay their accounts, municipalities will become financially stable and be able to pay creditors such as Eskom.

“Residents who cannot afford to pay can register as indigents in order to receive free basic municipal services,” she added.

— The BEAT