The City of Ekurhuleni’s (CoE) finance department recently hosted a debt relief and rehabilitation incentive scheme at the Rabasotho Community Centre in Thembisa.
This event forms part of a roadshow aimed at educating residents about the importance of paying for municipal services and indigent support programs and providing an update on the debt relief initiative presented to the Ekurhuleni community on August 2.
Thembisa is the second community to benefit from this roadshow, with the first event in KwaThema.
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The Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Finance, Jongizizwe Dlabathi, explained the significance of this initiative and outlined the requirements for Thembisa residents to continue receiving municipal services without disruptions.
“We need to work together as a community,” said Dlabathi.
“As the MMC for Finance, I must pay billions every month to Eskom so that the people of Thembisa can have electricity.
“I also allocate over R700m monthly to ensure households have access to water, and I source additional funds to cover streetlights, fix potholes, and manage waste collection.
“We know that illegal dumping is a major issue in this area, which means I have to find more funding to address this.”
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He continued by stressing the importance of paying for the services provided by the municipality.
“We need responsible citizens who understand the value of paying for the services that take care of us.
“I deal with the finances, so I know how much the extra costs affect us.
“Another key issue is the indigent policy, which aims to help families who cannot afford to pay for their municipal services, like elderly people who rely on social grants.
“To qualify, households must earn less than R7 000 a month.
“However, this policy does not apply to households that have tenants, especially those with more than five rooms.
“These residents need to pay for their share of services because increased occupancy raises the demand for services.”
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Dlabathi further explained those who qualify for indigent relief are entitled to 50 free kWh of electricity and 6kl of free water, and they do not pay for property assessments or waste collection.
“We only charge people who misuse the water provided. That’s why we advise everyone to benefit from the indigent policy to use water responsibly to avoid issues with the municipality.”
