Water accounts focus a good idea – Deysel

MUNICIPAL: Tokkie Deysel of the ratepayers’ association welcomes the water accounts campaign
MUNICIPAL: Tokkie Deysel of the ratepayers’ association welcomes the water accounts campaign

THE Komani Civic and Ratepayers Association has welcomed the Chris Hani District Municipality’s (CHDM) customer account correction on water billing which started on Monday at the Mzi Skweyiya Hall in Mlungisi.

Chairman Tokkie Deysel told residents at a town hall meeting on Monday that the association had been swamped with complaints over the past two years about the matter.

“This association was established because of the service delivery issues and one of the major issues has been about the water problems. Our first meeting started in May 2014 with the municipality and it has taken us two years to achieve this. We agreed that there will be five areas set to resolve these issues with the water accounts.”

He said the billing campaign would help customers who in the past have been faced with exorbitant water bills. “We entered into an agreement and we are working with the CHDM and they are making a massive effort. We wish to complement them for trying to resolve these matters. When people go there they must be specific with their queries so that they will be rectified.”

He also urged people to attend the association’s meetings, as apathy would not have a positive result.

Plans involving the association and CHDM on the reading of water meters were still under way. “We do not yet have a date when they will start with the meter readings but the agreement is there – they are going to clean and read all of these meters. The people are asking how they can deal with the issue of high accounts, there are people with accounts high up to R35000.”

He appealed to the ward councillors to spread the message in their areas.

“We will work with the ward councillors so that they advise their constituents. We must realise that when the water function was shuffled it was a mess and it still is and it will not be corrected in one month. We also want to appeal to the people to save water. We want these services from the municipalities because we are not going to pay for another five years for someone to sit and do nothing.”

Secretary Adre Bartis said the new water accounts were easier to understand.

Resident Edric Russell said everyone should be encouraged to pay.

“I have no objection to paying my water and electricity accounts, but our councillors must make sure that every single person in the municipality pays their dues.”

The next public meeting on water account queries will be on Monday next week at the Town Library Hall from 8.30am.

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