Pressure is mounting on municipalities to enforce credit control measures amid spiraling debts.
Municipal association South African Local Government Association (SALGA) has revealed that about R165 billion is owed to municipalities across the country in unpaid service accounts.
In the Free State, government owes R1.3 billion in unpaid services bills. The metro’s overall collection shortfall from government, businesses and households is at more than R4 billion.
Metro spokesperson, Qondile Khedama, says they are left with no option but to cut services to defaulters.
“There are a lot of public servants who are owing us who are highly behind. They are living with their parents. They don’t pay the services. So we are beginning to come up with a plan to make sure that these public servants are actually paying us. With government we are bound to disconnect because that is the only way in which we can raise our concern with them.”
