Today, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Mogalakwena will meet with the Acting Municipal Chief Financial Officer, Andile Mhlamanzana, and the Head of the Finance Department, Tshilidzi Mashau, to clarify and demand swift rectification of all indigent subsidies and services.
We have been inundated with complaints from indigent residents who have recently received inflated and incorrect municipal accounts.
The DA further discovered that numerous indigent residents have not received their full indigent subsidy package as set out in the Mogalakwena Municipal tariff schedule for 2025/2026.
The indigent package, an amount of R538.00 is a crucial financial lifeline to poor and elderly residents and is designed to alleviate the burden of basic services; this amount must not be withheld or reduced due to administrative oversights.
To further exacerbate the issue, there have been multiple reports of faulty meter readings that have led to inaccurate billing. This not only creates confusion but also unfairly burdens financially vulnerable residents.
Indigent residents are also not made aware of their entitlement to 50 kWh of free electricity on prepaid meters.
This subsidy, which should be automatically applied with the first purchase of electricity each month, has been overlooked or not communicated properly, leaving many without the benefits they are rightfully entitled to.
We will continue to monitor the situation closely and hold the municipality accountable to ensuring fairness and transparency in the billing and indigent subsidy process.