Pretoria - They may represent us or work for the metro council, but scores of councillors and city council employees are in arrears with their own municipal accounts.
According to a report, the Tshwane Metro Council is currently owed an estimated R5.1 billion in arrears and debtors include not only ordinary households and businesses, but councillors, council employees, government departments and even embassies.
The names of the councillors who owe money on their personal accounts have not been made available, but the amount owed in regions across the metro area ranges from R4 000 to R55 000, with Region 3 being the biggest culprit.
It is not clear if any of the councillors involved have had their electricity or water cut off because of non-payment of their accounts.
In one region alone, there are 92 embassies which owe on their accounts. Despite some long delays, no action appears to have been taken.
There are currently 90 935 dormant accounts in Tshwane, in addition to 816 inter-departmental service accounts and 30 021 residential accounts which have not yet been assigned for collection.
Chief financial officer Andile Dyakala stated in the report that 175 807 accounts had not been assigned to a region yet, due to the fact that “the necessary data purification is being performed to address this shortcoming”.
There is no clear indication in the Municipal Systems Act and the council’s rules and regulations on what additional action the metro may take when a councillor fails to pay his or her account, other than treating them as a regular householder.
In recent years, the Tshwane Metro has devised plans to collect the estimated R5.1bn owed it in unpaid service bills.
These include the formulation of a new credit control and debt collection policy, which focused mostly on poor families, as well as writing off more than R700 million in interest on the arrears of residential consumers in a bid to encourage them to settle their debts.
Residents are divided into various categories by the municipality - those customers who are unable to pay for services; those who are able to but do not pay, and those who are willing but unable to pay their municipal accounts in full.
The council’s Municipal Public Accounts Committee has requested that Dyakala furnish it with a “comprehensive list of councillors with arrear accounts “over 120 plus” (three months or more in arrears) when it meets this month.
Dyakala has also been asked to develop a strategy to recoup money owed on arrears accounts, including mechanisms that would ensure sustainability of revenue collection.
The committee is seeking an explanation from Dyakala as to why the electricity supply to businesses and embassies which are in arrears for more than 120 days has not been disconnected.
Attempts to get comment from the municipality failed. Questions were sent to the municipality last month (June) with no response at the time of going to press.
Who owes the council what:
Region 1:Florauna, Ninapark, Pretoria North, Amandasig, Chantelle, Karenpark, Orchards, Winterveld, Mabopane, Ga-Rankuwa, Hebron and Soshanguve. Councillors: 33 - R9 709.45 owed
Staff: 1 884 - R635 087 owed
Region 2: Magalieskruin, Montana, Sinoville, Dilopye, Suurman, Sekampaneng, Bultfontein, Tswaing Nature Reserve, Kromdraai, Mandela Village, Annlin, Wonderboom, Babelegi, Bosplaas, Onderstepoort and Rooiwal. Councillors; 8 - R12 876.45 owed
Staff: 326 - R282 886 owed
Region 3: Daspoort, Hercules, Hermanstad, Mountain View, Kwaggasrand, Proclamation Hill, Monument Park, Atteridgeville Central, Koedoespoort Industrial, Moregloed, Andeon, Booysens, Mayville, Brooklyn (west), Colbyn, Asiatic Bazaar, Philip Nel Park, Pretoria Central, Groenkloof, Lukasrand, Monument Golf Estate and Sunnyside East. Councillors: 48 - R55 351.03 owed
Staff: 1 879 - R1.5m owed
Region 4: Atteridgeville informal (Brazzaville, Siyahlala), Gerhardsville, Laezonia, Vlakplaas, Lyttelton, Die Hoewes, Claudius, Erasmia, Doringkloof, Kosmosdal, Mnandi, Raslouw, Sunderland Ridge, Olievenhoutbosch, Kloofsig, Pierre van Ryneveld, Thaba Tshwane, Valhalla and Rietvalleirand. Councillors: 17 - R12 296.16 owed
Staff: 433 - R324 610.51 owed
Region 5: Derdepoort AH, Eersterus (west), Jan Niemand Park, Kameeldrift AH, Boekenhoutkloof, Boschkop, Kameelfontein, Leeuwfontein, Cullinan, Brandbach, Rayton and Refilwe.
Councillors; 6 - R4 111.90 owed
Staff: 228 - R117 450.93 owed
Region 6:Mamelodi East, Mahube Valley, Mamelodi (far north-east), Mamelodi (far south-east), Moretele View, Mamelodi Sun Valley, Heatherley, Constantia Park, Waltloo, Meyerspark, Die Wilgers, Newlands, Menlyn, Erasmuskloof, Moreleta Park, Nellmapius, Samcor Park, Equestria, La Montagne, Boschkop, Mooiplaats, Silver Lakes and Mooikloof Estate.
Councillors: 36 - R37 238.57 owed
Staff: 1 018 - R665 824.70 owed
Region 7: Kungwini Country Estate, Vaalbank, Vlakfontein, Ekangala, Zithobeni, Rethabiseng, Rustfontein and Spitskop.
Councillors: 3 - R1 683.14 owed
Staff: 168 - R59 807.63 owed
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