Date: 2026-01-24 10:13:54

EThekwini Municipality Clarifies Billing Accuracy

ETHEKWINI NEWSFLASH

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 ETHEKWINI MUNICIPALITY CLARIFIES BILLING ACCURACY

EThekwini Municipality wishes to assure residents that its billing system remains accurate, reliable, and fully operational. 

Recent claims by Mr Haniff Hoosen, alleging widespread systemic inaccuracies or a failure of the billing system, are unfounded and misleading.

Furthermore, the City wants to state that there are isolated cases where customers raise queries regarding their municipal bills. 

However, investigations into these queries consistently indicate that the alleged inaccuracies are not due to defects or failures within the billing system. 

Instead, they are largely attributable to external factors, including:

•     Undetected water leaks on customer properties, resulting in high consumption

•     Reconciliation of actual meter readings following prolonged estimated readings, which may result in once-off adjustments perceived as anomalies

•     Access challenges, such as locked premises or aggressive pets, which delay meter readings and necessitate estimated billing

•     Incorrect or inconsistent customer-submitted readings, including transposed digits or readings taken from the incorrect meter

•     Changes in customer consumption patterns, such as increased household occupancy or expanded business activity

•     Delayed reporting of leaks or meter faults by customers

Following concerns raised by ratepayers regarding incorrect billing, the Municipality has implemented several reforms aimed at improving billing accuracy and customer experience. 

These include changes to the format of the standard municipal bill to ensure it is simpler and easier to understand.

In addition, the City has digitised revenue management services through the introduction of the e-Services platform.

This initiative has enabled the transition from manual postal delivery of bills to electronic delivery methods. 

Customers are encouraged to register on the e-Services portal, which allows for timely receipt of bills, online viewing, and secure digital payment options.

Residents are also urged to use the municipal mobile application to submit monthly meter readings, ensuring they are billed accurately for services consumed.

Another key intervention has been the migration of meter management from line directorates (Water and Electricity) to the Revenue Directorate. 

This has significantly improved meter reading efficiency, with only 12% of water bills and 20% of electricity bills currently being estimated.

STATUS OF THE REVENUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

The Municipality states categorically that the City’s current Revenue Management System (RMS), developed in 2005, remains stable and continues to perform all essential billing and revenue functions. Claims that the system has “failed” are incorrect.

DEBT ARRANGEMENTS AND DISPUTE MANAGEMENT

The Municipality also wishes to correct misinformation suggesting that residents are coerced into entering debt arrangements on disputed amounts. 

In line with municipal credit control policies:

•     Customers are encouraged to lodge formal disputes where they contest any portion of their account.

•     All disputed charges are thoroughly investigated.

•     Interim payment arrangements are voluntary and are offered solely to prevent account escalation during dispute resolution.

Any settlement offers are considered on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with approved procedures.

Additional measures implemented to support accurate billing for all customers, including pensioners and low-income households, include:

•     USSD services, allowing customers to communicate without data or SMS costs.

•     WhatsApp support channels.

•     Community engagement programmes conducted with councillors and ratepayer associations, enabling direct responses to customer concerns.

•     System enhancements that automatically flag unusually high or low readings for audit prior to bill finalisation.

The Municipality reiterates its commitment to ensuring that customers are billed accurately for the services they have consumed. 

Customers with billing queries are encouraged to engage directly with the Municipality for assistance.

ENDS

Issued by the eThekwini Municipality’s Marketing and Communications Directorate.