The dire financial situation faced by institutions providing basic services is likely to continue unabated for some time to come. Consumers' attitudes are at the centre of the chaos we see in many municipalities. A study conducted by the City of Joburg shows that paying for services is relegated to the bottom of the list of priorities in many households. We would be surprised if the findings of this study did not reflect the situation in the rest of the country.According to the study, consumers first take care of their mortgages and car instalments, then make sure their DStv subscriptions are up to date before paying other bills. Electricity andmunicipal bills feature at the bottom of the list.Though we cannot dictate to people what their cash-disposal priorities should be, South Africa can no longer afford to entertain the culture of non-payment we see across our towns and townships. If we citizens view lights and water as things not worth paying for we should not complain when those services are no longer provided.Truth be told, many families that say they are too poor when pressure is put on them to pay for services can actually afford them.Johannesburg Water MD Lungile Dhlamini hit the nail on the head when he said many Soweto residents pleaded poverty when they had to pay for water consumption but surprisingly managed to keep their DStv subscriptions and car repayments up to date.It is shocking that water boards across the country are owed R3.67-billion.Dhlamini said installation of 130000 prepaid meters in Soweto had not had an impact as they were simply by-passed by residents.For this situation to be turned around, the governing party should impress upon residents the importance of paying for services.The government's system to protect the poor is being abused and the politics of entitlement have taken root in our communities.Failure to deal with this behaviour will render this country a failed state. We should not then turn around and blame others for the mess...