Msunduzi acknowledges 'billing errors', says those incorrectly charged must come forward

The municipality is busy with an audit to establish the areas and number of residents affected.

Msunduzi is also carrying out community engagements on the ground to collect information.

The City's Ntobeko Mkhize says they encountered some problems during their recent collection drive when the City tried to recoup around R5 billion in unpaid lights and water bills.

"There are changes that are not updated in the system, there are changes with regards to ownership or addresses and there are also those accounts where there are estimates because the municipality for a month or two will estimate on the account and then do the metre reading the next month."

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"So there has been errors which are also being addressed which have resulted from that." 

But Anthony Waldhausen, who is with the Msunduzi Association of Residents, Ratepayers and Civics, says billing errors have been a thorn in their side for quite some time now.

This is why they have decided to engage the municipality.

"I do expect that on the 8 November, they will come into Ward 36 where they will take residents through how to read their accounts, what is the difference between a query and a dispute and other things around water outages and leakages and electricity challenges."