Efforts are in place to “revive and resuscitate” the financial situation of the Sol Plaatje Municipality in Kimberley.
This is according to Sello Matsie, spokesperson of the municipality, in a press release on Friday (18/02).
Matsie said the municipality is heavily indebted to service providers, including Eskom, the Department of Water Affairs and other stores and materials suppliers.
“The Sol Plaatje Municipality has resolved on a financial recovery process review which started in February 2020 with the erstwhile executive leadership and management when the liquidity status was deteriorating at an alarming rate with a growing debtors book. A support team was seconded from Provincial Treasury and a draft plan was completed,” he said. However due to the Covid-19 pandemic the process of approving the proposed financial recovery halted.
Matsie gave a summary of the debtors book as on 31 January 2022:
- Businesses owe a combined total debt of R451 million, with the highest owing R28 million and being a hospital. Religious categories owe R2 158 million, with the highest owing R404 000.
- Indigents households owe a total of R367 million despite the fact that upon approval, the account is written off to R0 by the municipality. The highest account owing is R555 000.
- Residential other than indigent owe over a billion Rand, with one house owing R3,8 million.
- Municipal staff, as well as former and some current councillors’ debt is around R9 million, with the highest staff owing R350 000 and a councillor R250 000.
“We are in engagements with the National and Provincial Treasury and Public Works regarding outstanding debts, with a view of ensuring all state departments are up to date,” Matsie commented.
The municipality requests arrear or defaulting customers to:
Visit municipal offices to discuss the account and balance status
Make an arrangement to pay the debt.
Pay the current account in full.
Those indigent must bring proof of income and be registered as such.
If you are residing on a deceased estate property, obtain a letter of authority from the Master of High Court and get assisted.
Matsie said the non-paying area with high suspicion of bypassed electricity meters will definitely see action. According to him the elderly account holders remain loyal in paying their accounts.
In another press release earlier in February, Matsie stated that cable theft in especially Cassandra is a “daily occurrence”, leaving the area and larger parts of the city without electricity supply.
Matsie said despite jointly efforts and strategies with different stakeholders, cable theft is ongoing.
“There are illegal metal dealers who are definitely involved. The continuous deliberate destruction of our infrastructure requires that more harsh punishment should be meted out through the legal system to send a clear message that such won’t be tolerated,” he said.
