A Mitchells Plain pensioner is kwaad for the City of Cape Town, after she received a disconnection letter for a water bill that she has been paying.
Maureen Burns got the letter in the first week of April saying she owes R3800 which left her dumbfounded as she never missed a payment since she moved into her Lentegeur home over 40 years ago.
“I always pay my water bill so I do not know where this letter comes from or why my account is so much in arrears.
“During lockdown we only got bills every three months or so and every time it shows that we used close to R1000 but it is just me, my son and his wife that live in the house.”
Maureen says during lockdown she made monthly trips to the Shoprite in Lentegeur to pay R900 and even made two payments of R1200 when she got two bills for over R2000.
“I only get R1800 for my pension and after all my bills, I only have R160 left for food.
“I always make sure that I pay the R900 because I do not want my water to be cut, but when I see my bill then it only shows one payment of R900 even though I have all the receipts.”
Meanwhile her water meter is still covered with sand, proof that it has not been checked for some time.
“They say it is average readings but before lockdown my bills showed that we only used under 20 kilolitres but now it goes up to 40.”
The City’s Luthando Tyhalibongo insists the readings are accurate.
“Her current monthly payments are not sufficient to cover her current account.”
He urged Maureen to go to her nearest municipal office to make a payment arrangement.
He did not say why only one payment was reflecting on the account despite Maureen’s receipts.