Changing the culture of non-payment of services in ELM.

THE Revenue Department of Emfuleni Local Municipality has launched a series of outreach visits to shopping malls to interact with residents on payment of municipal accounts, indigent registration and other related enquiries.

In the first visit to the Evaton Mall on the 25th and 26th August, officials and employees from the Revenue and Public Safety Departments and the Office of the Executive Mayor, assisted over 600 residents who came to the stalls set up outside the mall.

Residents asked for information, clarity and status of their indigent applications and payment arrangements with the municipality.

There were also service delivery queries about potholes on the municipality’s roads and the slowing turn-around time in responding to water supply challenges reported by residents in different wards.

Residents also asked about the availability of jobs at the municipality and the backlogs in waste removal in many residential areas.

Many residents said they were no longer receiving their municipal statements through post-mail and needed this to change.

Other matters raised by residents included outstanding tittle deeds for their homes and Officials from the municipality’s Public Safety Department encouraged motorists with outstanding fines to pay before warrants of arrest were issued against their names.

Following the successful two-day visit to Evaton Mall, the outreach visits will next head to other shopping centers in Emfuleni.

Residents are urged to pay their municipal accounts before the 7th of each month, for any enquiries, please contact customer care on: 016 950 5109 or customercare@emfuleni.gov.za

Eligible families and residents are encouraged to visit their nearest municipal offices to register on the municipality’s indigent database to receive free basic water and electricity.

A resident interacts with officials from the Revenue Department of Emfuleni Local Municipality during an outreach visit to the Evaton Mall

By Wandisile Kunene