Joza resident and pensioner, Lungisa Ngcete said she has lived without her own supply of water for about five or six years.
Joza resident and pensioner, Lungisa Ngcete said she has lived without her own supply of water for about five or six years.
Her family has to cart water from a public tap near the Ethembeni Senior Service Centre on Nompondo Street in Joza to their home a block away.
“My children even have to ask the neighbours for water sometimes, so they can get ready for school in the morning,” she said.
Ngcete explains that the top of her tap was cut off by the municipality after her husband died six years ago. She said she cannot not pay the municipal bills since her husband was the only breadwinner at home.
“Even though he has died, the municipal accounts are still coming, amounting to over R20 000,” she said.
Ngcete said there are other residents in the area who have the same problem, their taps have been cut and they are also unable to pay their accounts.
She was unaware that there is an Indigent Support Policy available which ensures that poor or indigent households are not denied their constitutional right of access to free basic services.
Makana municipal spokesperson, Thandy Matebese said it is important for residents to report matters like these to the Finance department, where they can be followed up.
He added that people have been informed of this policy at length through ward committees and Budget, Treasury and IDP portfolio committee meetings.
The Indigent Support Policy provides poor households ongoing access to minimum, nationally specified basic services.
The policy states that while these services are subsidised, the quality or efficiency of service delivery should not be compromised in any way.
Chief Financial Officer, Jackson Ngcelwane said that the qualifications for indigents look at the household income.
“If the household income is less than a state pension of R1 010, it is used as a gauge to say that the household is 100% indigent because you are earning from zero up until that one state pension.
“But if you are earning greater than R1 010 starting from R1 (such as an earning R1 011 instead of R1 010) you belong to another category which is called 75%,” said Ngcelwane.
He said the 100% and 75% means a discount off municipal rates, refuse collections and sewerage charges. There is also a free monthly allowance of 10 kilolitres of water and 50 KW of electricity per household.
“If you use more 10 kilolitres of water per day it is your responsibility to pay,” Ngcelwane said. Applications for assistance must be made on the prescribed forms and are available from the municipal Finance department.
