City of Tshwane finance outreach programme helps over 6 000 residents with
municipal account queries and services
By Cllr Jacqui Uys
MMC for Finance
The City of Tshwane mobile finance outreach teams have engaged 6 206 residents in
townships and suburban areas across Tshwane between February and July this year.
Of these, 1 811 indigent support applications, the City’s free basket of services for the
poor, and 3 537 billing queries were resolved.
The outreach programme follows the successful relaunch of the City’s Tshwane Ya Tima revenue-collection campaign which was revived in February this year.
The campaign started as a disconnection drive focusing on those who drive up high utility
bills without paying.
However, the campaign was subsequently moved to focus on all debtors to maximise revenue collection.
From the start it was clear that to fix the City’s finances, Tshwane Ya Tima had to be more than just a punitive drive on defaulters but a real collaboration between residents, businesses and the city.
The aim is to work together to ensure correct billing and to help residents take control of their municipal accounts. This led to the establishment of a mobile outreach programme going into communities to assist with account queries, late estate registration, indigent applications, affordability write-off applications and payment arrangements.
The finance outreach programme was further supported by six Tshwane Ya Tima public meetings where communities had the opportunity to engage me directly in my capacity as MMC for Finance, along with City finance officials, where we assisted to resolve many challenges and concerns.
Our coalition government is committed to stabilising the City’s finances in order to help
improve service delivery for all.