City of Joburg pleads with residents to pay bills

The call by the City of Johannesburg comes as Soweto residents have run up a bill of R4-billion after refusing to pay Eskom for electricity.

Johannesburg is pleading with its residents to pay for services to enable it to maintain, upgrade and build new infrastructure.

Member of the mayoral committee on infrastructure and environment services Matshidiso Mfikoe made the call last week as the city presented its 2015/16 budget.

"Please pay because we also have to buy bulk services from Rand Water," she said.

The call comes as Soweto residents have run up a bill of R4-billion after refusing to pay Eskom for electricity.

But residents will have to dig deeper into their pockets after member of the mayoral committee on finance Geoffrey Makhubo announced tariff increases, which will be implemented from July 1.

Property rates will go up by 6%, refuse collection by 8%, electricity 12.19% and water and sewerage by 14%. P ensioners and those living in properties that are valued at less than R200000 will get rebates.

Makhubo presented a record R52.6-billion budget. Transport received R1.5-billion for 2015/16 and a three-year capital budget of R3.5-billion. City Power received R15.4-billion. Joburg Water was allocated R7.2-billion and Pikitup R2-billion.

R4.36-billion was spent on consultants in the 2014/15 financial year.