Umsobomvu Municipality has failed to supply residents with service accounts for more than eighteen months. The Democratic Alliance (DA) consistently engaged with management to rectify the situation, not only in Council, but also in meetings with the Municipal Manager and the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). I have also tabled two motions and will again table a formal notice at the next ordinary council meeting.
Despite ongoing pressure by the DA and regardless of it being required by law to provide users with accounts, the municipality blames the dysfunctional post office for the non-delivery of accounts. It also fails to put adequate contingency plans in place to remedy the situation.
As far as possible, a small number of residents have supplied their e-mail addresses to the municipality in order to receive their accounts electronically. However, not every person has access to these facilities, and this system alone will not suffice.
The municipality is facing severe financial constraints. The Auditor General’s latest unqualified audit report states that the municipality fails to pay service providers within 30 days. The municipality further has a payment arrangement with the Auditor General and Eskom to address outstanding payments.
At the end of December 2022, outstanding service accounts due to the municipality totaled more than R349,4 million. Instead of prioritizing the issuing of accounts, to get money back in, the municipality rather blocks prepaid meters and discontinues users’ electricity without prior notice.
The situation is unbearable for residents, who are threatening legal action against the municipality, and unsustainable for the municipality, which is becoming poorer by the day.
In addition to keeping the pressure on at a local level, the DA is also taking the matter up with COGHSTA at a provincial level. Umsombomvu cannot be allowed to fold its arms, when it should be folding and issuing service delivery accounts instead.