ACDP said it’s not fair that government departments are treated differently to residetns when it comes to paying municipal bills.
The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) in Ekurhuleni says it is “shocked” that the Gauteng government owes the municipality R382.3 million for water and electricity.
ACDP councillor Palesa Yates told The Citizenon Tuesday that R41.1 million of the amount owed has been owed for more than three months.
“The ACDP recently asked a question in council on the matter and was shocked to discover that various departments of our provincial government owe the City of Ekurhuleni R382.3 million.
“The Gauteng provincial government must pay its water and lights accounts on time,” Yates said.
Government departments that do not pay their municipal bills on time set a “very bad example to residents” who have their electricity cut off for non-payment, she added.
“It is not fair that government departments should be treated differently from ordinary residents,” she said.
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More government entities owe the municipality
Written replies to questions in council revealed that other state entities also owe the municipality.
“According to question responses tabled in council, the South African Revenue Services (Sars) owes R1.6 million, the Department of Correctional Services owes almost R17.6 million, and the Department of Infrastructure Development owes almost R170 million in rates,” she said.
Yates said it is difficult to cut off municipal services for government departments and entities.
“The city forces residents to pay by cutting off their water and lights; but this can be a challenge when it comes to some government departments like basic education or health, for example.
“It would be wrong to cut off water to a hospital, for example, because patients will suffer. Different tiers of government, however, have platforms where they can engage. Robust engagements need to happen,” she said.
Ekurhuleni’s debt collection campaign
Last year, the City of Ekurhuleni launched a campaign to recoup more than R26 billion from residents and businesses who have defaulted on their municipal accounts.
During the launch of this campaign, the MMC of Finance, Jongizizwe Dlabathi, told The Citizen that residents who owe the municipality for services should payor have their lights cut off.
He advised that those struggling to pay should contact the city.
What is the importance of paying for rates and services?
Meanwhile, Yates said if metros and municipalities are not paid for services, they will run out of money to do maintenance work like fixing potholes and dealing with power outages.
“All users of municipal services must pay – unless they are indigents,” she said.
The Citizen contacted the Gauteng provincial department for comment about its debt to the City of Ekurhuleni.
However, the provincial government’s spokesperson, Vuyo Mhaga, referred the media enquiry to the Gauteng Department of Infrastructure Development (DID). No response was received from DID at the time this article was published.
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