City’s Utility Bills Riddled With Errors Yet Again

The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) urged the Finance Department of the Mogale City Local Municipality (Krugersdorp, Magaliesburg, Muldersdrift), which is responsible for issuing utility bills, to ensure that the information reflected on the bills is correct and complete.

The bills for March do not reflect VAT nor the billing period. Consequently, these bills are technically invalid seeing as a tax invoice must, in terms of the Value-Added Tax Act (VAT Act) and the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA), indicate the following:

• the amount of VAT charged;
• the exact billing period to which the specific invoice pertains; and
• the basic identifying details of the consumer and the service provider.

When these essential elements are absent, the bill may not be issued as it fails to meet legal and administrative standards.

It also causes serious frustration among taxpayers and may even result in erroneous collection.

This is yet another example of the failing Munsoft system, which has been sending out inaccurate or incomplete bills to residents for months. The system’s recurring errors – from missing VAT charges to incorrect billing periods and incomplete data – demonstrate that the Municipality is not applying the necessary internal controls. It undermines residents’ confidence in the administration and makes sound financial management virtually impossible.

If incorrect bills are issued, the subsequent month’s account may be indicated as being in arrears, leading to interest being charged at the expense of residents who are trying their best to fulfil their financial obligations.

The Freedom Front Plus requested in an official letter to the Mayoral Committee Member for Finance, Victor Molefe, and the City Manager, Mokhosana Msezana, that the matter should be urgently looked into and that residents’ accounts should be corrected to prevent further confusion and unfair costs.

Freedom Front Plus Language Rights: It supports the protection of Afrikaans as a language of instruction and communication.

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