Community anger over high bills . . .
A public meeting in Phoenix to discuss high eThekwini Municipality utility bills erupted in chaos as frustrated ratepayers demanded answers. Irate residents hurled insults at a municipal employee because they believed their concerns were not being addressed.
APUBLIC meeting to address alleged inaccuracies in residents’ utility accounts in Phoenix on Wednesday was abandoned after 15 minutes when irate account holders began hurling insults at a municipal employee they felt was not adequately addressing their concerns.
The meeting, convened by members of the DA, ended in chaos.
Over the past few months, residents have been complaining about the exorbitant figures reflected on their water and electricity accounts, accusing the municipality of investing wastefully in a new billing system that has resulted in unnecessary panic.
Their frustration reached tipping point at the Shastri Park Hall, leaving flustered DA councillors Bradley Singh, Lyndal Singh and Tino Pillay with no other option but to terminate the meeting.
The residents left without finding solutions to their problems. Bradley Singh told POST afterwards he understood the community’s concerns but was nonetheless taken aback by their behaviour.
Describing the scene as volatile, Singh said the DA had been trying to tackle the problem in council by asking for a moratorium on utility bills, but the idea of a grace period was rejected.
He said although a fair number of the utility bills have been calculated incorrectly, he was angry with the municipality, who refused to accept there was a problem with the system.
“The new billing system, which cost R700 million to implement, is one of many wasted expenditures that council has incurred.
“We are trying by all means to resolve the issue but council refuses to alleviate the problems experienced.
“We are also aware that an incorrect bill tremendously affects the pockets of residents, especially with the everyday cost of living.
“All we can do is encourage residents who receive hefty bills to approach us and we will get the Treasury department to look into the matter.”
While explaining how residents should read their utility bills, deputy head of revenue Khanyi Gama was bombarded with insults. Residents surrounded the official and councillors, demanding explanations as to why their bills were so high.
Among the frustrated residents was Glen Naicker, who had to sell his car to pay his exorbitant account. The 60-yearold lives in a three-bedroom house in Brookdale with his wife, two children and grandchildren.
“Initially my bill would come to R11 000. I never questioned it. I just paid it out of fear that my electricity and water would be disconnected.”
But the bill increased to R14 000.
“I raised my concern with staff at the municipal office but they were unconcerned and rude. They insisted I just pay and I paid the minimal amount. A month later, the account rose to R18 000 and in order to pay it, I sold my car.”
In December, the account rocketed to R80 000. In January it was R136 000 and in February R157 000. He thereafter laid a complaint with the municipality.
Gama said if errors reported with bills were identified, residents would not have their water and electricity disconnected. She declined to comment on the chaos that erupted.