Come on, pay your dues

When City of Johannesburg group finance officials joined metro police officers at a recent roadblock, engaging property owners on their debt for municipal services, there was an immediate outcry (“‘Unlawful and illegal’: Joburg’s roadblock debt collectors run into trouble, September 19).

The city was condemned for going after those who deliberately run away from their responsibility to pay for municipal services such as water and electricity they have consumed.

Johannesburg is grappling with a mammoth debtors’ book, a staggering R48bn of debt owed for municipal services. This burden is crippling the city’s ability to continue to provide services.

Ironically, many complaints about potholed roads, collapsing infrastructure, overgrown grass and so on cannot be adequately addressed if the services that are being consumed are not paid for.

The SA Local Government Association paints a bleak picture of municipalities that are on the brink of collapse because of nonpayment for services. SA municipalities are owed more than R290bn for services by businesses, households and government entities.

And the figure is rising.

Already some municipalities are unable to pay bulk suppliers such as Eskom and Rand Water, or pay salaries to their employees.

In Johannesburg, blatant disregard for the law is making it increasingly difficult for city officials to collect outstanding debt, and officials are being denied entry to properties to perform their duties — especially properties where illegal connection to the city’s services is rampant.

The use of law enforcement departments therefore cannot be in question.

The strategic drive should be to capacitate and expand the operations of law enforcement departments better to restore the rule of law.

Tebogo Moraka Group CFO, City of Johannesburg