Claims that the new e-siyakhokha website is a poor copy is far from the truth.
This is according to Themba Gadebe, spokesperson for the City of Ekurhuleni.
Gadebe said: “The City of Ekurhuleni launched an extensive media campaign to introduce the new upgraded e-siyakhokha online payment method, which also sought to educate residents on the steps required to register on the platform.”
“This included marketing of a dedicated call centre number and email address established to assist struggling residents.
“The City of Ekurhuleni remains confident that the newly upgraded online payment system will give residents peace of mind, enabling them to view, manage and pay their municipal accounts conveniently.
“The old website www.e-siyakhokha.co.za is no longer in use.
“Instead, customers now have to log on to www.siyakhokha.ekurhuleni.gov.za, giving the city total control of the data, unlike the previous one where important personal data was in private hands.”
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Gadebe was responding to a letter from a Kempton Express reader, Zack Crockett.
In the letter the resident writes the following, followed by the metro’s response:
1. The City of Ekurhuleni has switched off their online system, e-Siyakhokha, and replaced it with a poor copy.
Although their marketing states they have upgraded to a more efficient system, it is quite apparent that Ekurhuleni has taken a giant step backwards. Even the call centre number listed in their FAQs (011 361 4201) goes unanswered as it belongs to the operators of the previous system.
A: This is an unfortunate effort to mislead the public. Kempton Express published a Siyakhokha advert informing the public of the new call centre number: 011 999 5102 and an email address: siyakhokha@ekurhuleni.gov.za.
2. Hundreds of thousands of customers who have been using e-Siyakhokha for many years now have to register for the new system. There is no transfer of information and, in fact, many years of users’ statements and payment history is now lost.
A: Central to this upgrade was to address this concern that the data and server containing important information of residents were in the hands of a private service provider. The new registration will ensure that residents’ information is managed and protected by the City.
Furthermore, we are in the process of uploading the statements for all registered users for at least the past six months. Customers who require statements for longer than this period will be provided. They can request this info via our call centre or support email.
3. The various methods of paying one’s account have been removed and customers are left with signing a debit order or making payment via MasterPass using a linked credit card. Ekurhuleni states that users can now pay from their internet banking, although the ability to receive your bill and pay from certain banks’ internet banking has actually been removed. So has the link to pay from Absa for individuals and corporates.
A: The new system has the following three payment options: once-off payment, debit order instruction and MasterPass. The City of Ekurhuleni is currently banking with Nedbank. At the time the previous system was implemented, the City banked with Absa. However, similar payment channels that were available are still offered except for the Absa focus.
4. In addition, when clicking “Once-off Payments/Debit Orders”, the system returns “Server Error in ‘/’ Application” – a critical Microsoft system error.
A: This is not the case. However, if there is such a challenge, we are happy to obtain details of the client to assist them.
5. Anyone can register for the service using any name or ID number, whether real or not. This gets you into the system. One only then needs someone’s ID number and account number and you can access their account. More worrying is that users are complaining of being linked to the wrong account. This is a substantial breach of the POPI Act – the municipality cannot give users access to others’ accounts.
A: This is not true. The system has a validation functionality which ensures that only the registered owner of the property can link the municipal account to his/her profile.
6. In the previous system, one could manage multiple accounts with multiple users. That’s gone. Companies or agents with many accounts, or owners with tenants, can no longer use the system in an effective manner. The ability for more than one person to be able to view and pay accounts is gone. I can no longer pay my disabled mother’s account.
A: The system enables one to register as an individual or agent or business. Therefore, the facility for agents to link multiple accounts to their profile and manage them is available on the system. An individual is also able to link an unassociated account (e.g. mom’s account), to their profile and only once the verification is done, the third party is able to manage the account.
7. Previously, all my payments were stored in my payment history. There is a payment history feature in the new system, but it doesn’t work, even with payments made using the new system. We will have to see whether statements are stored in history, but for now there is nothing. My statement is also used as a FICA document, but the new system is not producing the statement to be the same as the original. So now it is not valid as a legal document and users still have to obtain an original from the municipality.
A: The payment history functionality is available on the new system and history will be built up over time as customers make payments through the system. In the near future payment history will also include payments made through other payment channels, e.g. retailers, customer care centres, etc. All our statements of accounts meet FICA requirements. The watermark that was in the statement as “copy” was done for testing purposes. The statements are available to our customers and could be used to satisfy FICA requirements.
8. Security of the system is lacking. Once a user registers and logs into the system, they are logged in forever.
Even if you close the internet browser, the next person will have access to your account. The previous system employed a sophisticated anti-fraud feature which now seems to be quite limited.
While the new system has attempted to repeat this, it appears only to use a very simple function. This means that anyone with some basic financial knowledge can fraudulently pay their account by asking the system to debit a third-party bank account.
A: The system has an effective and efficient log off functionality, which automatically logs you out after 10 minutes if the user is not active on the system. It is impossible to pay for an account that is not linked to your profile using banking details linked to another profile or account. The system does not show the full bank account number and also the banking details cannot be copied from the system.
9. So who is benefiting? It seems there was no tender issued and no open bidding process. Officials have instead appointed a company under a subcontract of an R800-million-plus contract awarded to Telkom, owned by BCX, for the upgrade of their financial system.
A questionable but perhaps legal way of bypassing a fair tender process.
A: The BCX was appointed through a normal procurement process. The tender was also audited by the auditor general and there was nothing wrong. This allegation is misleading the public. All awarded tenders are published on our website for public scrutiny.
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