Mthatha ratepayers have blasted King Sabata Dalindyebo municipal bosses for what they termed a “gross violation of our human rights” after they could not purchase electricity on Friday and the weekend, as their accounts had been blocked by the municipality.
Fuming Mthatha Ratepayers and Residents Association spokesperson Madyibi Ngxekana, who was among those affected, said they should have been informed of matters beforehand.
“We are an important stakeholder here.
“There was no notification whatsoever.
“They just went ahead and blocked accounts without a care in the world,” he said.
Ngxekana, who serves as a ward committee member, is registered as an indigent by KSD municipality.
KSD municipal spokesperson Sonwabo Mampoza denied that ratepayers were not informed about risking their accounts being blocked and said they had been sent warning letters.
“The municipality doesn’t just switch off, cut off or block accounts.
“There are necessary steps we take to get people to come and pay.” Blocking accounts was a last resort.
Mampoza said: “We are not punishing them but encouraging them to pay.”
He said management on Monday decided accounts would no longer be blocked between Friday and Sunday.
Some of the debts prompting the cut-off were old.
He said some account holders had standing arrangements with the municipality, where they paid monthly on their long-standing debts.
DA councillor Raymond Knock, who is a member of the municipality’s finance committee, defended KSD, saying there was a municipal policy in place that allowed for it to implement a “blockage system” for those who failed to pay their rates.
He said paying rates was not a matter of choice.
Ngxekana questioned why the municipality was in the past able to inform people timeously about blockages.
He said many people were horrified when they could not purchase electricity from vendors on Friday.
“We are not fighting them but it’s totally unacceptable that we are kept in the dark as ratepayers.
“It’s a gross violation of our human rights as ratepayers.”
He said some ratepayers who found themselves blocked had previously made arrangements to pay off their debt.
Homes were blocked in Southernwood, Southridge, Sidwadwa and Myezo Park.
Pensioner Vuyiswa Gladys Ngani, 87, hurried to KSD’s offices on Monday morning to find out what was going on.
She said her family had to buy gas so that they could cook.
Sihle Pasiya, who stays with his uncle in Southernwood, said they had made a verbal agreement with authorities to repay “thousands of rands we owe them” but were told by a vendor that their account had been blocked.
They had to buy candles.
Knock said KSD was owed in excess of R400m by ratepayers, businesses, organisations and government departments.
“You have to pay because this municipality cannot run without rates being paid.
“As much as it is painful, the municipality cannot function without payments for rates,” Knock said...