Joburg mom’s R2.6-million water bill reversed after Public Protector steps in
JoburgCAN warns of a much deeper billing crisis in the metro
A Johannesburg mother, Jenny-Lee Bot, had her R2.6-million water bill reversed after the Public Protector intervened in her case. Earlier this year, Bot received a shock when her bill jumped from R1,334 in July 2023 to R454,192 the following month. The bill reflected extremely high water readings, fluctuating between 1,420kL and 5,965kL, which was well above the average of roughly 35kL per month for a family of four.
Several experts deemed the bill erroneous as a house using that much water would likely show signs of flooding. After paying to have her meter tested, Bot was sent "from pillar to post" for two years, visiting Johannesburg Water numerous times while her electricity and water were repeatedly disconnected. Despite Johannesburg Water's determination that Bot's consumption couldn't be attributed to a fault within their system, and their insistence on a 50% upfront payment, the Public Protector took notice of her case.
This led to a mediation between Bot, Johannesburg Water, and the Johannesburg Ombudsman, resulting in the reversal of the incorrect billing.
Written by urgent.news from GroundUp's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
