Ratepayers in Buffalo City Metro have not received their September bills causing confusion, anxiety, outrage – and a potential dip in cash-flow of millions for the municipality.
The published deadline for the city’s 157000 ratepayers to pay their accounts is the 15th of the month following the month billed – which is tomorrow for the September statement.
Buffalo City Metro (BCM) blamed a national post office strike, but an official has admitted that BCM was three days late in getting the statements to the post office.
BCM spokesman Thandy Matebese said: “It is common knowledge that consumers need to pay for municipal services and not receiving a statement cannot be used as an excuse not to pay.”
This outraged Buffalo City Ratepayers’ Forum chairman André Swart said: “This is the biggest load of hogwash!”
Nahoon resident Jean Hall said: “People, especially the elderly are in a panic.”
Swart said: “Nobody has received their October bill yet.”
Swart said the bill for rates, electricity, water, sewage, refuse removal and a fire levy, should have arrived 15 days ago on Tuesday, September 30.
BCM spokesman Matebese blamed the delay on a national post office strike, saying: “The account statements had already been generated and sent to the service provider for distribution.”
Swart demanded to know if there had been an “administrative glitch”, and received correspondence from a BCM accounts official seen by the Dispatch which says: “… the account run for September was postponed by three days because of a challenge we experienced…”
But the official immediately said: “The service provider printed and forwarded the statements to the post office on Wednesday October 1 2014, but as you should be aware they are on a countrywide strike action. There is definitely no glitch in the system.”
Matebese advised consumers to visit the nearest BCM office to request the balance on their accounts or to contact the municipality by calling (043)705-3710/9695/1749.
He said: “We also encourage consumers with e-mail addresses to inform the municipality so that they can have their account statements e-mailed monthly.” — mikel@dispatch.co.za
Late BCM billing worries and confuses ratepayers
The published deadline for the city’s 157000 ratepayers to pay their accounts is the 15th of the month following the month billed – which is tomorrow for the September statement.
Buffalo City Metro (BCM) blamed a national post office strike, but an official has admitted that BCM was three days late in getting the statements to the post office.
BCM spokesman Thandy Matebese said: “It is common knowledge that consumers need to pay for municipal services and not receiving a statement cannot be used as an excuse not to pay.”
This outraged Buffalo City Ratepayers’ Forum chairman André Swart said: “This is the biggest load of hogwash!”
Nahoon resident Jean Hall said: “People, especially the elderly are in a panic.”
Swart said: “Nobody has received their October bill yet.”
Swart said the bill for rates, electricity, water, sewage, refuse removal and a fire levy, should have arrived 15 days ago on Tuesday, September 30.
BCM spokesman Matebese blamed the delay on a national post office strike, saying: “The account statements had already been generated and sent to the service provider for distribution.”
Swart demanded to know if there had been an “administrative glitch”, and received correspondence from a BCM accounts official seen by the Dispatch which says: “… the account run for September was postponed by three days because of a challenge we experienced…”
But the official immediately said: “The service provider printed and forwarded the statements to the post office on Wednesday October 1 2014, but as you should be aware they are on a countrywide strike action. There is definitely no glitch in the system.”
Matebese advised consumers to visit the nearest BCM office to request the balance on their accounts or to contact the municipality by calling (043)705-3710/9695/1749.
He said: “We also encourage consumers with e-mail addresses to inform the municipality so that they can have their account statements e-mailed monthly.” — mikel@dispatch.co.za
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