Debt relief deadline looms
With just 10 days remaining, the Tshwane metro has urged residents and businesses to take advantage of its Debt Relief and Incentive Scheme before the final deadline on May 31.
This initiative, championed by Deputy Mayor and MMC for Finance, Eugene Modise, is designed to ease the financial burden of municipal debt and provide residents with a clean slate.
The scheme has seen a strong engagement across Tshwane since its inception, with more than 19 853 amnesty application forms submitted.
Among these, 5 069 applications specifically target electricity debt relief, which is a pressing issue that continues to impact households and businesses across the metro.
'We are encouraged by the response so far, but we want to remind those who have not yet applied that the window is closing fast. Time is of the essence,' said Modise.
Modise said one of the best outcomes of the initiative has been the writing off of R1.84-billion in debt from 31 540 inactive accounts.
He said these are accounts no longer reflect active consumption but have long-standing arrears, which placed a heavy strain on the metro's finances.
By removing this debt from its books, the municipality not only improves its financial outlook but also demonstrates a commitment to restoring financial stability for its constituents.
In addition to the inactive accounts, the metro confirmed that 460 residential accounts and 19 business accounts have been successfully approved for the debt relief option.
This has resulted in R76.54-million in affected debt and R26.5-million officially written off.
Modise said the metro's programme has also made strides in helping indigent households.
'We have written off R2.42-billion from indigent accounts.'
The May 31 deadline is the last chance for residents and business owners to submit their applications.
The process allows individuals to enter into payment agreements or apply for full or partial relief, depending on their financial situation.
'This reflects our unwavering commitment to social responsibility.
'We are dedicated to ensuring equitable access to essential services for all residents of Tshwane.'
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok.
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
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