JOHANNESBURG'S chaotic billing system has driven the Presidency to dispatch one of its ministers in the hope of arresting continuing public frustration.
However, Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Obed Bapela said yesterday that residents' frustrations could only be settled next year.
"By 2013, we hope the city (of Johannesburg) will be in the clear," he said.
Bapela, accompanied by provincial local government and housing MEC Humphrey Mmemezi as well as the city's mayoral committee member for finance Geoffrey Makhubu, briefed the media following a meeting in which solutions aimed at remedying the billing system were discussed.
Sensing the potential for speculation, the deputy minister moved quickly to dispel suggestions that the Presidency's involvement in solving the crisis indicated plans to intervene in the city's administration.
"We are here today not to take over the administration of the City of Johannesburg or to intervene in the administration of Johannesburg," Bapela said.
However, the Presidency and the city have a mountain of complaints to address.
Makhubu yesterday revealed that the city would address a backlog of 66000 registered complaints about the billing system by June. This was in addition to a further 60000 complaints, which Makhubu said were "non-technical" as they did not pertain to the billing system.
Of these complaints, Makhubu indicated that 27000 had been dealt with.
Yesterday's briefing also saw Bapela appealing to residents who had billing queries to continue paying for services while their queries were attended to.
"If you were paying a certain amount every month and it increases without explanation, continue paying what you originally paid. If you don't, services will be cut off," he said.
But both Makhubu and Bapela acknowledged that much of the billing problems could be attributed to the manner in which readings were done.
Bapela said complaints from residents had revealed that meter readers often gave people estimates rather than accurate and actual readings.
Other problems identified as having possibly contributed to the crisis included the city's attempts to reconcile the different billing systems that were in place before the local government sphere was created.
Joburg billing crisis gets attention
JOHANNESBURG'S chaotic billing system has driven the Presidency to dispatch one of its ministers in the hope of arresting continuing public frustration.
However, Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Obed Bapela said yesterday that residents' frustrations could only be settled next year.
"By 2013, we hope the city (of Johannesburg) will be in the clear," he said.
Bapela, accompanied by provincial local government and housing MEC Humphrey Mmemezi as well as the city's mayoral committee member for finance Geoffrey Makhubu, briefed the media following a meeting in which solutions aimed at remedying the billing system were discussed.
Sensing the potential for speculation, the deputy minister moved quickly to dispel suggestions that the Presidency's involvement in solving the crisis indicated plans to intervene in the city's administration.
"We are here today not to take over the administration of the City of Johannesburg or to intervene in the administration of Johannesburg," Bapela said.
However, the Presidency and the city have a mountain of complaints to address.
Makhubu yesterday revealed that the city would address a backlog of 66000 registered complaints about the billing system by June. This was in addition to a further 60000 complaints, which Makhubu said were "non-technical" as they did not pertain to the billing system.
Of these complaints, Makhubu indicated that 27000 had been dealt with.
Yesterday's briefing also saw Bapela appealing to residents who had billing queries to continue paying for services while their queries were attended to.
"If you were paying a certain amount every month and it increases without explanation, continue paying what you originally paid. If you don't, services will be cut off," he said.
But both Makhubu and Bapela acknowledged that much of the billing problems could be attributed to the manner in which readings were done.
Bapela said complaints from residents had revealed that meter readers often gave people estimates rather than accurate and actual readings.
Other problems identified as having possibly contributed to the crisis included the city's attempts to reconcile the different billing systems that were in place before the local government sphere was created.
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