Tshwane Mayor under pressure to resolve 'unlawful' cleansing levy billing fiasco

Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya has been given an ultimatum to immediately put measures in place to reverse the “unlawful” cleansing levy charges recently added by mistake to thousands of residential accounts, and “clean up the billing crisis that she has created” or face accounts disputes filed directly with her office.

This call was made by Councillor Jacqui Uys, the Democratic Alliance Tshwane Spokesperson for Finance on Tuesday.

“We call on the Mayor to immediately put measures in place that will see these unlawful charges reversed and clean up the billing crisis that she has created.

“In the absence of this, the DA will have no choice but to direct residents to file the disputes on their accounts directly with the Mayor’s office. If the officials who were assigned these responsibilities cannot resolve this matter, then the Mayor’s office can start doing it instead as was promised,” Uys said in a statement.

This is the latest salvo in the ongoing cleansing levy saga. It comes despite the city having established a dedicated team tasked with correcting the billing problem affecting about 12,000 accounts and safeguarding the integrity of revenue processes going forward.

While the R194 monthly cleansing levy was declared unlawful by the Gauteng High Court, the city remains determined to proceed with the levy and has lodged an appeal against the judgment. Following last month’s billing fiasco affecting the 12,000 accounts, the city offered to do credit reversals instead of cash refunds.

Court Appeal

Municipal spokesperson Selby Bokaba previously explained that the city’s court appeal automatically suspended the judgment declaring the levy unlawful. He also put the matter into perspective saying the 12,000 accounts represented less than two percent of the city's 780,000 customers.

He made assurances that the city was rectifying the error and making progress in resolving the affected accounts.

However, Uys said on Tuesday that “a month has passed and absolutely nothing has happened”. 

She said the city and the mayor have failed to keep their commitments to rectify the erroneous levy charges, which were added to accounts of sectional title holders.

“Instead, countless properties have been charged with these unlawful amounts once again,” she said.

“This, despite the fact that a reporting mechanism was put in place with officials to rectify the mistake on these accounts. However, a month has passed and absolutely nothing has happened. It appears the problem is more entrenched than previously communicated.

“Countless residents and Body Corporates filed their requests for refunds with officials, none of which were even responded to. Not even a courtesy of a reply or automated reference number. Worse still, thousands of residents paid these charges on the basis they would be reversed and credited to their accounts. Instead, they have been billed again.

“This is a cataclysmic failure by the administration and Mayor Moya who indicated that the matter would be resolved. Many of these residents are now indicating they intend to boycott paying their bills until they are refunded these unlawful charges.”