Lockdown causes excessive Johannesburg water billing and faulty traffic lights

The city of Johannesburg has apologised for overcharging ratepayers for their water usage during lockdown.

In a letter, the city says it mistakenly billed customers in excess of 30 days.

“The city of Johannesburg is aware the number of days billed for water during the Covid-19 national lockdown is in excess of the standard 30 days. The city is also aware of accounts billed based on estimated consumption after pictures based on meter readings were submitted.

“This has resulted in a higher-than-normal total monthly bill.”

The number of ratepayers affected is unknown, and the city has urged people to continue paying their bills, promising to correct the amount in their June bill.

In another letter, the city has said it would not be able to fix most faulty traffic lights because it wants to protect its employees.

“We expect a reduction in traffic volumes during the period, hence we do not expect any traffic congestion,” the statement said.

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