HUNDREDS of Philippi residents are boycotting payment of their municipal rates accounts
They claim the City of Cape Town cannot explain why they are paying thousands of rands in arrears.
As a result the city is threatening to cut off their water and lights at the end of this month.
Attempts to get the ward councillor and sub-council to intervene have failed, say residents.
Zoliswa Nkomo, 39, said she does not understand why her rates account is R118000 in arrears.
Her family of four has lived in the house for less than three years, and she has been paying her bills. She says she received two letters from the city threatening to cut her water off if she did not pay the arrears by end of March.
Alphus Ndawonye says she has been receiving letters of demand for R100000 for water, sewerage services and rates. The houses has a pre-paid electricity meter.
Ndawonye says the amounts don't add up since the average monthly payment for these accounts should be about R30, which would mean it would take 277 years to rack up an arrears of R100000.
Many other residents have bills of around R40000.
City spokesperson Charles Cooper says residents must submit their accounts to the revenue department.
"Water loss due to leaks in the homes contributes to debt and there are residents who have high arrears amounts because of this," he says.
Municipal bills protest
HUNDREDS of Philippi residents are boycotting payment of their municipal rates accounts
They claim the City of Cape Town cannot explain why they are paying thousands of rands in arrears.
As a result the city is threatening to cut off their water and lights at the end of this month.
Attempts to get the ward councillor and sub-council to intervene have failed, say residents.
Zoliswa Nkomo, 39, said she does not understand why her rates account is R118000 in arrears.
Her family of four has lived in the house for less than three years, and she has been paying her bills. She says she received two letters from the city threatening to cut her water off if she did not pay the arrears by end of March.
Alphus Ndawonye says she has been receiving letters of demand for R100000 for water, sewerage services and rates. The houses has a pre-paid electricity meter.
Ndawonye says the amounts don't add up since the average monthly payment for these accounts should be about R30, which would mean it would take 277 years to rack up an arrears of R100000.
Many other residents have bills of around R40000.
City spokesperson Charles Cooper says residents must submit their accounts to the revenue department.
"Water loss due to leaks in the homes contributes to debt and there are residents who have high arrears amounts because of this," he says.
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