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Billing crisis gets physical

Nicola Mawson
By Nicola Mawson, Contributor.
Johannesburg, 06 Sept 2012

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is accusing the City of Johannesburg of refusing to accept 3 000 unsolved billing queries and calling in the metro police to remove the opposition party's delegation from the premises.

However, the city argues that it has several resolution channels and accountholders passing complaints through to the opposition party will not lead to preferential treatment.

In March, there were about 100 000 queries from the city's 1.3 million accountholders that related to billing issues. Of these, 66 000 dated back from the end of October, while 35 000 were “new” queries lodged since November.

In the middle of July, the city said 98% of backlogged issues have been sorted out. However, the DA argues that the crisis is far from over.

Thousands of residents had issues with their statements after the city moved its disparate systems onto a SAP platform through a project codenamed Phakama. The move cost at least R580 million.

Outstanding issues

DA caucus leader in Johannesburg, Mmusi Maimane, says the party tried to hand over 3 000 unresolved billing queries to Johannesburg's finance MMC, Geoffrey Makhubo, yesterday. “I sincerely hoped that Makhubo would accept these queries, and resolve them as soon as possible to help the families that have been struggling with inflated and incorrect municipal bills.”

However, alleges Maimane, Makubo's office refused to accept the bills and went so far as to call in the Johannesburg Metro Police Department to remove the delegation from the premises.

The city has hit back in a statement issued by Zoleka Zide, assistant director in the office of the MMC for finance, saying it “provides ample opportunities for the resolution of queries raised by residents and customers regarding their municipal bills”.

Zide says the city is aware that the DA collected billing queries last month, and while it has the right to call mass meetings and engage in complaints, residents should be aware the DA's approach does not guarantee any preferential treatment.

“We, therefore, appeal to our customers not to be misled by the promises of political parties, [or] pressure groups that they are able to resolve issues outside the city-established channels,” says Zide. “There are no shortcuts that can be offered by 'shadow MMCs' or 'shadowy intermediaries' that will bypass the process or offer preferential treatment.”

Waiting game

Maimane says the Johannesburg-based ruling African National Congress has been claiming for many months now that the billing crisis and all outstanding queries have been resolved. “There is a crisis, it has not been resolved, and the ANC in Johannesburg is in denial about that fact.”

The people who submitted their unresolved problems to the DA for assistance have been waiting for many months, some for several years, says Maimane. “The fact of the matter is that these people have been waiting in the queue, but haven't been helped.”

The city has extended working hours at its main customer service centre - Thuso House, in Braamfontein - from 7.30am to 6pm from Monday to Friday and between 8am and 11am on Saturdays.

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