Tshwane to write off R754m debt

The City of Tshwane will write off R754-million in debt incurred by poor residents in the council’s Mawiga Zone.

Residents incurred the debt while they were receiving services from an entity formerly known as Sandspruit Works Association‚ which the council voted to disestablish in July 2017.

“This is on the condition that the residents affected begin paying for the municipal services provided to them by the city. This is designed to encourage the residents of Mawiga to start being conscientious rate payers while also rehabilitating the debtors book. This is a progressive and pro-poor move by Council this afternoon‚” Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga said on Thursday.

He added that the city has undertaken to provide immediate interventions to ensure that service levels in the Mawiga area are drastically improved.

“This includes but is not limited to the R5-million project to replace sewer pipes‚ which started towards the end of last year. This project is currently under way and there are also plans to make additional funding available to continue with the sewer replacement project once this first phase has been completed‚” he said.

“This network is aged and has been a problem for the people of Ga-Rankuwa that was neglected by the former administration‚ which we are committed to fixing once and for all.”

Msimanga described the decision of council as a victory for his administration and the people of Mawiga.

Sandspruit Waterworks Association was a dysfunctional municipal entity‚ and in October 2016 council voted unanimously to disestablish it and incorporate its functions. It served an area in Region 1 called Mawiga (Mabopane‚ Winterveld and Garankuwa).

A number of civic organisations complained that there was no public participation leading up to the disestablishment. They also complained about poor service delivery‚ including blocked sewers‚ in Mawiga. The city obtained legal advice that it had the prerogative to decide on the best mechanism for service delivery.