Residents of Marulani Lodge protest unexpected waste management charges
Marulani Lodge residents in Pretoria East are outraged after receiving their first-ever waste management bill from the City of Tshwane despite already paying a monthly levy that covers waste collection by a private contractor.
At the centre of their complaint was an unexpected R427,40 waste management charge on their April municipal account statements.
Residents have expressed disappointment that they were not consulted about the new waste management charges.
They are demanding that the City correct their accounts, believing the waste management charges were made in error.
Anja Swanepoel, one of the residents, was surprised to see a R427,40 waste management charge on her municipal account as her complex already pays for private waste removal through their monthly levies.
She has since emailed the City, requesting the charge be removed and an updated invoice issued before she settles her account.
'I wrote Tshwane an email. I didn't get a reference number but I got an automated email reply. I am sure they are not going to rectify the account and it is just going to be one of those things that will lie there until we pay,' she said.
She expressed concern that her rates and services that used to be around R530 have suddenly doubled.
Swanepoel said the situation is particularly worrying for the many elderly residents, who rely on social grants and can't afford the new charges.
'I am renting out my unit and I can't charge my tenant that additional amount because it is ludicrous. For the old people it is quite bad because they rely on their pension funds and that additional R427 takes away part of their livelihood,' she said.
Resident Magdel du Preez was also caught off guard by the extra charge.
She said: 'We were not warned or informed about it. It is an extra for a service I don't get. It is affecting people in our complex and also I heard people in other complexes are running into the same problem.'
Former DA MMC for Finance and DA councillor, Jacqui Uys, said in a video message that her party councillors have been contacted by many residents who had previously cancelled the City's waste collection services.
To the residents' surprise, she said, the City had reinstated waste collection charges on their accounts last month.
'I have written to the chief financial officer to inquire why residents who have followed the correct procedure to cancel this service are now seeing it back on their accounts without any consultation or the service being delivered. I have asked what is the policy that was used to do so and I am awaiting his feedback,' she said.
She advised affected residents to submit individual queries to the municipality, saying once a query is logged and unresolved, residents can proceed to file an official dispute with the City by completing a specific form.
She advised residents to pay the undisputed amount on their account while the dispute is being resolved to avoid service disconnection.
Municipal spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said: 'The City's Environment and Agriculture Management Department issued notices in November 2024 to all Homeowners Associations, requesting submission of evidence of private waste collection for verification.'
He said those who did not provide the required documentation were subsequently billed from April 2025 for waste charges equivalent to one bin.
'Clients may submit proof of private waste collection for review. Upon verification, the charge may be reversed accordingly,' Mashigo said.
rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za
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