Residents’ ire turns into

joy at Revenue Open Day

 

Before they entered the meeting’s venue, they were seething with rage, ready to vent their spleen on anyone in their path.

The anger was palpable, and it was clear it had been brewing for a while.
 

But a few hours later, many of the disgruntled residents stepped out of the venue with a smile in their faces and a spring in their steps after they were disarmed by the satisfactory resolution of their source of anger.

This was the scene at the Sandton Fire Station precinct on Saturday during the City of Johannesburg’s Regional Revenue Open Day. More than 300 ratepayers gathered to register their billing-related and other municipal queries.
 

Organised by the City’s Revenue Shared Services Centre (RSSC), the Open Day – the second since the beginning of the year – brought together more than 100 specialists from several municipal-owned entities to attend to queries ranging from electricity accounts, valuations, refuse removal, water and property rates to refunds, clearance certificates and pensioner rebates.
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The Open Days, which the City has hosted in all seven regions since 2011, cater mainly for residents who don’t have time during the week to go to walk-in centres to have their queries attended to because of work and business commitments.

This also gives the City’s entities the opportunity to showcase their services and discuss and provide residents and customers with information on new programmes and campaigns. The entities included Pikitup, City Power, Joburg Water, Johannesburg Metro Police Department, Emergency Management Services, City Parks & Zoo and Group Finance.  

Hilljay Court of Melrose North was elated when his R25 600 water and electricity bill for six months was reversed after officials found he was wrongly billed. 

Court said he was happy it was finally resolved.

“I’m relieved! I’m going to sleep peacefully tonight,” Court said.

Theo Neu of Morningside, Sandton, was fuming after he was penalised for paying his water and rates bill six days after the due date.

Neu said it was unfair to be penalised for a minor issue such as this.

His fine for the past three months amounted to R240.

The matter was immediately resolved and Neu was told he would be refunded.

Nokuthula Mbalula of South Hills was satisfied after she was reassured that as from next month, she would receive a water bill under her name as the statement had for three years reflected the previous owners’ names despite her efforts to rectify the mistake.

Annamarie van Wyk of Westdene had not been receiving statements for the past 15 months. After a thorough investigation, officials informed her that the problem would be instantaneously resolved.