Durban - The eThekwini Municipality has condemned the circulation of fake news on various platforms that residents and businesses can expect a payment holiday during the national 21-day lockdown.
In a statement issued on Monday, the eThekwini Municipality said it would not be giving any relief on municipal charges
It said residential and business utility accounts will be charged as normal. However, the municipality will not disconnect customers during the lockdown as announced by the mayor Mxolisi Kaunda last Thursday.
During this time there will also be no interest incurred on accounts in arrears.
The municipality will also extend the period for the submission of rates rebate applications to May 31, 2020. This could be further extended depending on the state of the country.
During the period from March 26 until April 16 the municipality will abide by the lockdown protocols set out by President Cyril Ramaphosa and have closed all the banking halls and Sizakala centres.
All customers are urged to pay utility bills using:
- Payments at the 3rd party outlets can still be made, these are Shoprite, Checkers, Pick n Pay etc.
- Customers are also advised to make use of the online direct payment facility. The City banks with Nedbank and is a pre-loaded beneficiary.
- All direct debit payment runs will be conducted on April 1, 7, and 15, 2020.
- During the lockdown no new revenue clearance applications will be processed from conveyancers.
Customers should note that the postage of bills through the Post Office will be impacted during this period and customers who do not receive their bill are encouraged to pay the average of their bills.
Registration for online billing will enable the customers to receive bills through emails and view them online.
Registration is encouraged through the portal https://eservices.durban.gov.za/v2/. Any queries should be logged on the correspondence portal http://correspondence.durban.gov.za:200/. This will include requests for copies of bills.
The City said it hoped these measures would help alleviate the concerns around the payment of customer municipal bills, and provide the necessary clarity.
The municipality said it was grateful to residents for their understanding and ongoing commitment towards their payments.
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