Durban - The announcement that a hostel in the Pietermaritzburg CBD owes the Msunduzi Municipality R15 million has sparked outrage from city residents whose services are disconnected if they owe just a few thousand rand.
The municipality revealed that the Masukwana hostel is owing R15m in a post of its Facebook page.
“Don’t wait for us to get to your doorstep, be part of the solution,” the municipality said in the post. It has been on a drive to cut services to those owing.
The revelations of the debt of this hostel sparked ire among some of the city’s residents.
One resident posted: “Tell us why these accounts were left for so long, you are using a public platform to expose non-compliance, the citizens need answers!”
Another resident questioned how the bill was allowed to get to such a large amount.
“The simple answer is lazy, lazy, lazy, please don’t overwork yourselves, that would constitute a crime against humanity!!!”
Another said it was shocking that the bill was R15m when “average taxpayers owe 15c they are ready to disconnect.”
The municipality is owed in excess of R5 billion by customers and has been on an aggressive campaign to collect. It has named and shamed those who owe and has gone as far as cutting services to many schools.
There were reports that in the Imbali township, pupils were bringing water bottles to school after the municipality cut services.
Residents in the Masukwane Hostel rioted a few years ago after electricity to the hostel had been cut.