Msunduzi pleads for financial help to fix old electrical infrastructure
uMsunduzi Municipality is seeking assistance from its ratepayers to raise millions towards upgrading its ageing electricity infrastructure.
Earlier this week, the municipality tabled a proposal before the finance portfolio committee to urge ratepayers to pay their accounts a year in advance.
Part of the proposal includes a debt relief programme that will offer discounts to struggling customers.
The city says having ratepayers pay in advance was is a better alternative than loaning money from a bank which is paid with interest. The Democratic Alliance Sibongiseni Majola in Msunduzi says while this is a good initiative, it may be difficult for ratepayers to commit considering the impact of COVID-19.
NOW READ: Corruption Watch launches tool that offers police transparency
"With regards to the situation we are in, it is difficult for us to achieve anything because we are in the middle of COVID-19 where most of the residents are been affected by this situation. Therefore it will be hard to calculate the success of the initiative," said Majola.
