CALLING TO ACCOUNT: Gqeberha businessman fights ‘impossible’ municipal water bill of R1.5m
A Gqeberha businessman’s monthly water bill rocketed from R300 to R1.5m. He is now demanding full accountability from the municipality for what he calls systematic billing exploitation.
In Gqeberha, a 74-year-old businessman named Adriaan Smuts is engaged in a battle against his municipality over an astronomical water bill of more than R1.5 million. Smuts asserts that his household’s monthly water usage does not exceed 5 kiloliters, primarily for drinking, cooking, and making tea. He has attempted to resolve the issue with Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, but his efforts have been met with skepticism and frustration.
The municipality has reduced his debt from R1,565,385.60 to roughly R30,000, but Smuts remains unconvinced and wants a complete rectification of his account. The municipality attributes billing disputes to various factors, including estimated billing, faulty or replaced meters, and leaks. However, Smuts maintains that none of these explanations apply to his case.
Ward 12 councillor Vernon Boggenpoel has received numerous complaints about incorrect municipal bills, particularly from elderly residents. He emphasizes the need for improved billing and record-keeping systems to prevent such issues.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
