A City of Johannesburg press statement by the MMC for Finance, Cllr Funzela Ngobeni, explains that the finance department today, 19 December, rolled out a fraud awareness campaign.
According to the statement, the campaign aims to encourage residents to report any fraudulent activities that they may have been exposed to within the department.
The statement further reads:
“The fraud awareness campaign, which runs from 19 to 21 December at the Thuso House Customer Service Centre, aims to educate both customers and employees about fraud prevention, detection and reporting.
“In recent weeks, the department has received a number of complaints from customers about incidents of officials soliciting bribes. We are also aware of customers offering bribes as a way to avert mounting debts owed to the City.
“Part of the campaign is also to warn residents about criminals impersonating officials from the City, gaining access to residents’ homes to collect money for municipal services. It is important that customers are made aware of such cases because City officials do not come to residents’ homes to collect money which is intended for the payments of services, said Member of the Mayoral Committee for Finance (MMC), Cllr Funzela Ngobeni. [He] strongly [warned] customers and residents that under no circumstance should they be part of bribing City officials.
“Ngobeni warned customers to be aware of suspicious collection agents tricking customers to make payments into alternative accounts other than the City’s official accounts.
“It is important that our customers understand that no other accounts other than that of the City’s will be recognised for payments. Fraud and corruption has been declared public enemy number one under the multi-party government and the City will leave no stone unturned in fighting any form, shape or size of fraud.
“Fraud has no place in the City. All our agents have been advised to follow the department’s established operational guidelines in doing their job, this will lead to equal efficient treatment for all our customers,” said Ngobeni.
“The department remains firm in ensuring improved customer service, providing a customer-centric approach that places all citizens at the center of service delivery.”
