Council denies 'debt' policy

2008-11-06 08:04

Cobus Claassen

Pretoria - The Tshwane Metro Council denied that it expected residents declaring disputes about faulty municipal accounts to first pay their "debt" before the council would investigate the matter.

Beeld recently reported that Christo Coquis, owner of Coquis gents' outfitters, wanted to take the council to court about the thousands of rand he has had to pay to settle a faulty account.

In August the council informed Coquis that he was responsible for outstanding municipal debt accumulated by a former tenant of one of his properties in Pretoria. This debt had been accumulated months before at another house, which did not belong to Coquis.

The only way in which Coquis could have his new tenant's services connected, was to pay the amount of R23 136 under duress.

Despite this obvious error, the council has not refunded him a cent.

Beeld regularly received complaints from residents saying the council was not following up on disputes after the residents have had to settle faulty accounts out of necessity.

Council denies following policy

However, Andile Dyakala, executive director of revenue management at Tshwane Metro Council, denied that the council was following this policy.

Professor Deon Scott, an expert on municipal finances at Unisa, said a municipality should always act fairly towards residents.

He said it might not be the policy as such that is perplexing residents, but rather the administrative errors in the council's system.

Over the past few years the receipt of faulty accounts has become synonymous with the council's financial department.

Scott believes the biggest problems are a lack of expertise and insufficient staff.

"The number of complaints about faulty accounts indicate an above-average level of inefficiency at the council."

Decline in number of queries

Janho Engelbrecht, DA council member, said he was surprised by the council's denial that it was applying this policy. "It may not be a written rule, but it is definitely being applied."

He said many people were exploited when they declared a dispute and in some cases residents have had to borrow money to pay the faulty accounts.

"When the council realises it has made a mistake, it merely credits the (municipal) account of the resident involved. That person then has to struggle to repay the borrowed money."

He said the number of enquiries the DA received about faulty water and electricity accounts had declined.

"A profusion of complaints about (the implementation of) the Municipal Property Rates Act has unfortunately now become the big problem."

- Beeld