Fury over massive rates and taxes billing crisis in ELM

The Citizen

2 days ago

VANDERBIJLPARK – A storm is brewing in Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) as fed-up residents lashed out over massive water and electricity bills for services they say they never used.
This comes after dozens of angry homeowners, especially from Vanderbijlpark, descended on ELM offices demanding answers and action.
Angry residents complained about outrageous bills, with some reaching into the hundreds of thousands, and a few even exceeding R1m.
Despite the municipality having launched a 50% debt relief campaign to recoup some of the outstanding water and electricity payments, residents complain about incorrect billings for water and electricity.
One resident, Thuli Mkadula said, 'We wish the municipality would write off our bills. No resident will be able to pay rates and taxes of approximately R700 000. We are willing to pay the municipality as long as they bill us correctly.'
Mantoa Mkomotoane said, 'I was paying R3 000 and later paid R1 000. Now I pay R600 every month, however, every month the bills go up. I don't know where the R1.7m they claim I owe the municipality comes from.'
ELM spokesperson Makhosonke Sangweni disputed the claims.
'The municipality will deal with the disputes the community is bringing forward. Inconsistency in billing is not only limited to our municipality, but the entire country is going through such challenges. As a municipality, we have been working on resolving these issues; hence, we have a dispute resolution committee, and we will continue,' he said.