Residents drown in huge water bills
RESIDENTS from Harmony and Morgan Village in Mitchells Plain are up in arms over extraordinarily high water bills they've been slapped with for the first time in seven years, ranging from R100 000 upwards.
In some cases the situation has resulted in residents being unable to get their title deeds.
A resident who asked to remain anonymous for fear of further victimisation showed the Cape Times a newsletter clipping from September 2014, stating that residents would receive their first 350 litres of water a day for free.
“We were always under the impression that the water we were using was the 350 litres we were getting for free because we never received any bills.
“Now I got a disconnection letter and when I went to the council they said there was nothing I could do because the house is not in my name, the bills still come in the Cape Town Community Housing Company (CTCHC's) name,” the mother of two said.
The City said the issue was between the CTCHC, which owns the properties, and the residents.
Activist Brenda King said she was receiving endless complaints.
“There are people who cannot even use their toilet because they are on the trickle system so their chains can't flush.
“There are people who had to get rid of their clothing because they could not wash it and it started to stink.
“The situation is bad and we are talking about pensioners in many cases who cannot afford to pay these bills and now the residents cannot get their title deeds until the bills are settled.”
CTCHC manager David Masimila said they did not “sell water” and people used the water so they “had to pay”.
Masimila didn't directly address questions regarding the free 350 litres for residents.
He said the City had introduced a water management system.
“The City sells water, we don't sell water, we don't control the water meter.
“People can go to their local ward councillor who will assist them, but you used the water, people think they don't have to pay.
“The City introduced the water management system and the water meter does not belong to CTCHC.
“They give the bill not us and they said people must come in and say they want their meter capped but they never told us.”
City spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo said the City had inserted locks on accounts to avert restrictions of the water or disconnections of electricity while the matter was being discussed to find solutions.
Some solutions the City was looking at, Tyhalibongo said, included: “Debt write off on debt older than three years: The City is looking to see if these beneficiaries/tenants can benefit from the City's historic debt write-off initiative. Once the properties are registered into the name of the beneficiaries/tenants, they will be become eligible for the indigent basket of benefits the City is offering.”