Executive Mayor, Councillor Herman Mashaba has buckled down on government departments.
In a statement issues by the City of Johannesburg, he said, “Following an investigation I can reveal that Gauteng government departments owe the City of Joburg R259 million in outstanding rates.
”Today, I will write to the Premier of Gauteng, David Makhura, giving his government 30 days to either pay the R259 million or enter an acceptable repayment agreement with the City, as any other defaulting resident is expected to do.”
He stressed that a failure to do so will result in the ‘City taking immediate action and added that services would be cut in defaulting departments.
”We urge the defaulting departments to urgently comply within this time frame so that such action will not be necessary.”
Mashaba believes that this lack of discipline by the provincial government is unacceptable.”How can ordinary residents be expected to pay their bills when government departments do not?”
To his mind,the department is guilty of failing to meet their rates and payments for numerous reasons. “[Firstly] the Department of Infrastructure and Development [with an amount of] R161 million. [Secondly] the Department of Human Settlements [with an amount of] R39 million; and [lastly] the Department of Health [with an amount of] R59 million.”
He believes that these provincial government departments, who budget for rates and taxes, have not paid their dues to the City for a long time. “One has to ask what has happened to their budget which would have been set aside for this purpose?”
He highlighted that this debt, owed to the people of Johannesburg has clearly accumulated over time and said, ”It is disgraceful that the previous ANC-led administration allowed the ANC-run provincial government to get away with this for so long.”
He is of the opinion that the previous administration of Johannesburg, neglected ordinary citizens and had their ‘priorities wrong’.
Read also: Mayor Mashaba ready to turn City around
”The billing crisis has plagued our City’s residents for decades. Last week I announced that I will be organising a billing indaba. There will be three central issues which will be addressed at the indaba.”
The first issue on the agenda relates to free services that need to be provided to the ‘poorest residents’.
“Secondly, we need to introduce measures to improve revenue collection in our city… Finally, we need to review current mechanisms and introduce new mechanisms for processing and resolving billing complaints. Our residents go to hell and back to resolve issues.”
However, he wants government department to honour their aforementioned payment before the launch of this Indaba.
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