The delayed delivery of printed municipal account statements is not reason enough for customers not to pay their accounts or to pay them late.
The on-going interruption of postal services has seen a number of frustrated customers who, due to not receiving their statements on time, have either skipped payment or paid late, thus incurring arrears on their accounts.
“We are aware of the strike by post office workers, but, it was in view of circumstances like these, among other things, that the municipality introduced numerous options which serve only to make accessibility of statements and payments easy.
“The non-receipt of a statement does not exempt any person from the liability to pay such an account,” said Themba Gadebe, the metro’s spokesman.
Residents are encouraged to pay amounts similar to the previous month statements, should they not have received their current statements.
Residents who are not receiving their statements by post, or summary statements by SMS, are encouraged to visit their Customer Care Centres to update their contact details.
The municipal basket of improved payment methods includes the online system, which enables customers to view and pay their accounts online.
Therefore, residents are encouraged to register on www.e-siyakhokha.co.za to be able to view their statements online.
They can also pay their accounts at the Customer Care Centres, or at outlets identified at the back of their statements.
The online system also enables residents to pre-date payments (for example, you can set the system to pay your account on a set date, with a set amount, if you are on leave or holiday).
The system immediately gives you notification of payment; it keeps records of your accounts and payments from the time you register to use this method, and you can query your account while online.
“Of importance to note is that the due date for payment is fixed and it does not change from month to month, which helps not to miss your payment.
“When in doubt, customers can phone the numbers at the back of their previous statement,” Gadebe said, adding that alternatively they can email their account numbers, including contact details, to accontenquiries@ekurhuleni.gov.za.
