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Ratepayers see red over municipal billing blues

Nie Cele

In the past, city council apparatchiks have slammed news on the instability of their financial affairs.
They have done so despite evidence presented by the Democratic Alliance (DA), showing a worrying trend in inadequate collection of rates and taxes payments, which in the normal course of events would be followed by an inability to deliver required services.
In its defence, city council have cited its three unqualified audit reports in three successive years. Translated from business language into plain speak, this means their books are in order. Given the fact that at least one of the audits was conducted by Auditor-General Terence Nombembe, Punchline gave city council the benefit of the doubt. So, for now, let’s assume the audit reports were not cooked.
However, recent reports made by the DA that only 400 000 Joburg households out of 960 00 received interim meter readings (inaccurate though they may be) would seem to point to wrong billing as the order of the day. Apparently this was precipitated by the roll-out of the new multimillion rand IT system Project Phakama. Phakama is meant to be a user-friendly, integrated system, ensuring up to date, accurate billing. So much for that.
Punchline has dealt with so many cases of wrong billing that it has lost count, and only a few of these have been successfully resolved.
City council’s answer to frantic residents faced with  crazy bills is pay now, sort out the query later.
Please, someone explain the reasons for the inaccurate interim meter readings before Punchline gives Project Phakama a red card, finish and klaar.

citybeat@caxton.co.za

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