Mamelodi residents demand metro scrap electricity debts

Hundreds of Mamelodi residents marched to the Tshwane metro office in Mamelodi West on Friday demanding the city scrap electricity debt and stop disconnecting debtors.

The protesters believe since the estimated billing system is inaccurate and unreliable the city should refrain from using it to take action against defaulting residents.

“We are going to fight with the current administration in order for it to bill the residents correctly,” councillor Joel Masilela told Rekord.

Masilela added that they want a system of billing that is “commensurate with consumption”.

He said they needed a government that is sympathetic to the plight of the people.

“The government that is responsive to the aspirations and needs of our people must act consistently with the constitutional obligations,” Masilela said.

“We do not want to have a government that has draconian tactics where it threatens people… they have not been able to collect revenue since 2016.”

He said in the past six years, the city’s administration has allowed lawlessness in the city.

“The metro does not want to service people timeously whenever they are having challenges but it demands them to pay for municipal services even when they cannot afford to pay.”

He said the metro needs to vet poor people to see if they qualify for programmes to help them.

SA civic organisation (Sanco) leader Alpheus Sealetsa said the electricity bills were not a true reflection of what the residents owe the city.

“The high arrears that the city is imposing on residents are not a true reflection of our debt but it is just inaccurate estimations,” Sealetsa said.

“You can’t stop, scrap and terminate the contract of the meter readers but continue with the estimations that are always higher than the [actual] charges,” he said.

He added that the city must bring back meter readers.

“Sanco is saying, residents do not owe the municipality but the municipality makes residents look as if they owe it.”

Sanco called on the city to do something to persuade the residents that its people were not involved in the corrupt and scandalous municipal billing system.

“Inaccurate billing system seems to create business for debt collectors and the city ensures that people owe through false readings. We, therefore, call for the debts to be scrapped altogether.”

Metro MMC for Corporate and Shared Services, councillor Kingsley Wakelin received the memorandum on behalf of mayor Randall Williams.

Wakelin said the city would treat the memorandum with the respect and dignity it deserved.

“We will respond within the next 14 days,” he said.

He said he would engage directly with the office of the mayor on the matter.

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