City's warning to residents: Don't use unofficial 'runners' when seeking help at municipal offices
Pleased with the figures showing it successfully collected R40.5 billion in cash revenue for the 2024/25 financial year, achieving an 'impressive' 98% of its funding plan target of R41.3 billion.
The City sent out a statement updating residents and thanking them for their contribution.
The City said June marked a record-breaking month with revenue collections reaching 106% of the monthly target. The City collected R3.671 billion, surpassing a target of R3.465 billion, further strengthening the City's financial outlook.
Part of the success was attributed to the implementation of an incentive and amnesty campaign to help residents struggling with accounts payments running from March to May. Residents were assisted in settling their municipal accounts debts and regularising tampered meters and other services issues.
A total of 20,075 customers came forward to normalise their meters while 85,361 benefited from a R2.417 billion debt write-off. Additionally, 31,540 inactive accounts totalling R1.835 billion were cleared, and 1,076 customers with R154 million in debt entered into settlement agreements with the municipality.
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IOL News
4 days ago
- IOL News
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IOL News
06-08-2025
- IOL News
Operational overhaul mooted for Durban's uShaka Marine World
UShaka Marine World in Durban is set for a major overhaul, with plans to outsource operations. Image: uShaka Marine World UShaka Marine World in Durban is set to undergo a significant overhaul, with plans to outsource most of its operations. This initiative is part of the eThekwini Municipality's efforts to achieve financial stability for the entity, known officially as the Durban Marine Theme Park (DMTP). The City said in a recent media statement that the executive committee recommended the approval of Business Plan Option 2, which prioritises outsourcing operations and reducing reliance on municipal funding as the strategic model for DMTP. However, the plan still has to be approved by the City's full council. Option 2 has raised concerns among some workers who fear potential job losses due to the strategy outlined in the business plan document. Asked about potential job losses, the City told The Mercury this week that there are no projected retrenchments at this stage. Making uShaka Marine World financially sustainable has been discussed for several years. In October 2019, the council allocated R6 million for a feasibility study aimed at evaluating operational models for the DMTP. This study was delivered in seven phases, culminating in the presentation of two business model options to the municipality. In their media statement after exco approved Option 2, the City said the plan includes the initiation of a procurement process to identify suitable private operators and for the City Manager to oversee the transition in collaboration with the appointed multi-disciplinary committee. It added that the implementation of Business Plan Option 2 will only be implemented in the 2026/27 financial year. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Another document about the business plan indicates that the complete outsourcing of operations would transform DMTP into a facilities manager, collecting rent from tenants with limited capital injection. The approval by exco of this plan sparked concerns among workers. 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The DA has been advocating for the outsourcing of some departments within the entity to ensure it can be self-sustainable and not entirely reliant on the City's finances for survival. We welcome these developments as they open the door for public/private cooperation and collaboration.' Sibiya confirmed that the report on the business plan had not been approved by the full council at a meeting last week. She said it had been sent back to the Economic Development and Planning committee. Action SA councillor Zwakele Mncwango said the item had been referred back to the committee as councillors felt that they needed more information about the option that was being presented. He stated that they supported the item being referred back, as the approach is misguided. 'The strategy cannot be applied to the entity itself; it should look at an overview whether the environment is conducive enough for tourists to come to Durban. Is it safe? Are the beaches safe? It does not matter how much money is being poured into uShaka as long as the other tourism matters are not addressed; it will not help.' IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi said he was concerned about potential job losses. 'We all know that when a new employer comes in, they tend to bring their own employees, and there is a huge possibility of that happening here.' Nkosi acknowledged that the financial situation of uShaka is not ideal, but he said it could be improved through innovation by the current management. He pointed out that since the facility was established, there have not been any significant new attractions built there. 'There are no new attractions that could draw people from all over the city and the country to want to visit the facility,' he added. In response to questions from The Mercury, the municipality said there were various proposed models and a preferred option was selected. 'This option involves the inclusion of private sector investment into the business of the theme park and its operations. The approval of this option allows for the next phase of this study, which is to test the business case.' 'At this stage of the business case test, there are no projected retrenchments. The management at uShaka Marine World has initiated conversations on the matter with the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR), the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) as the internal labour partner, as well as with the non-bargaining council employees.' THE MERCURY
The South African
04-08-2025
- The South African
Cape Town's debt-relief plan: Get your old bills WRITTEN OFF
The initiative, part of Cape Town City Council's 2025/26 budget, is worth about R2.2 billion in old debt. The programme is aimed at helping households and organisations recover from ongoing economic pressures while ensuring the metro remains financially sustainable. The plan allows qualifying residents and organisations to have outstanding municipal debt – incurred up to 30 June 2024 – written off. In return, they must commit to paying their future monthly accounts through a formal payment arrangement. 'There has not been a significant improvement in the economy since the Covid-19 pandemic due to national and global economic shifts,' said the City's Mayco Member for Finance, Councillor Siseko Mbandezi. 'This has had a detrimental impact on the ability of many residents, across various income and property value categories, to pay their municipal accounts.' The debt write-off applies to: Homeowners with properties valued between R450 000 and R7.5 million Indigent customers and indigent properties with zero valuation Pensioners and social grant recipients Non-profit organisations, animal shelters, old-age homes, cemeteries and crematoria, social housing and youth development organisations, community museums Public Benefit Organisations Applicants must enter into a payment arrangement for their most recent debt. Future monthly bills must be paid on time to prevent sliding back into debt. The City of Cape Town stressed that the programme is designed to incentivise a culture of payment, ensuring service delivery can continue for all. Thanks to strong payment levels, Cape Town has maintained a collection rate of above 95%, reaching 97.83% by June 2025. 'It should be noted that write offs will be reversed if payment arrangements are not adhered to,' added Mbandezi. Residents can check if they qualify by contacting the City through the following channels: Email (payment arrangements): Email (rates rebates): Email (indigent relief): Call Centre: 0860 103 089 In person: Visit your nearest City of Cape Town customer walk-in centre Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
