Pay your municipal account and improve service delivery in your area

Dear resident,

1. The core legislative mandate of the Thabazimbi Local Municipality (TLM) is to provide basic services such as infrastructure development and maintenance; refuse removal, the provision of water and sanitation, electricity, primary health care and library facilities to its communities. These services require a lot of money and the government does not provide enough due to other competing needs.
2. In order to function properly and continue providing the essential basic services to its valued communities, TLM has to raise more money through rates and taxes paid by the residents within its jurisdiction.
3. Electricity and water supply to our communities has been erratic due to aging infrastructure which needs maintenance.
4. The municipality has fallen into arrears with its major bulk suppliers of basic services, and therefore urges all residents to pay their monthly bills. It is critical for the ratepayers, businesses and residents to continue paying for services in order to help the municipality restore the provision of all services to normality.
5. To ensure continued quality service delivery, a better life for our residents, a sound, viable and sustainable financial status, the municipality relies on the revenue collected from rate payers. 
6. For these goals to be realised, residents are expected to contribute through payment of services on time.
7.  At the moment, TLM is struggling to sustain service delivery and to provide quality basic services to communities due to large numbers of non-paying customers. 
8. TLM’s failure to pay Eskom and Magalies Water Board will result in interruption of service and leave the entire municipality without electricity and water. In order to improve this sad state of affairs and to enable the Municipality to discharge its service delivery mandate, communities are encouraged to pay their accounts.
9. TLM acknowledges that there are residents who genuinely cannot afford to pay for services. Such residents are encouraged to register as indigent households with the department of finance so that they can benefit. A household qualifies as indigent if the gross household income is less than R3200.00 per month (i.e. two state pensions).
   
   Indigent households once verified and approved qualify for the following subsidies: 
    •  Water up to (6kl per month)
    •  Electricity 50kwh (per month)
    
10. Residents are urged to switch lights off during the day. Switch off non-essential appliances and report any illegal connections and re-connections of electricity and water meters. Those who steal these services do so at the expense of paying residents. Their action has a negative effect on the ability of TLM to continue to render services to the entire community.
11. Take the responsibility to pay for the municipal debts. Pay your current account now. Together, we can get Thabazimbi working again.

For general account billing inquiries contact 014-777 1525 and for indigent administration, contact Thabang Mohlala at 7 Rietbok street, Thabazimbi, or 060-708 4815. 

TLM media statement, 28 November