The ANC has received an erroneous bill from the City of Johannesburg stating that it owes more than R3,5m in outstanding rates, taxes and electricity, eNCA reported on its website on Tuesday.
The bill, dated 24 May 2013, was for services for the party’s Luthuli House headquarters, and contained a threat of legal action.
In recent years, hundreds of thousands of Johannesburg ratepayers have received incorrect bills as a result of major problems with the city’s billing system.
The eNCA website published a copy of the municipal bill. “You are hereby notified that unless immediate payment of the outstanding amount is made, the council will issue instruction to cut off services and institute legal action,” a notice on the bill reads.
ANC spokesman Keith Khoza told eNCA that when the party received the bill, it lodged a formal complaint disputing the amount shown against what was paid.
“It’s part of many bills sent out to many residents that was faulty. What we know is that the City of Jo’burg has set a process in motion to deal with complaints. There might be some residual bills that still need to be rectified,” Khoza was quoted as saying.
City spokesman Stanley Maphologela said: “The Luthuli account was among the well-paid accounts on the monthly basis without fail.”
He said the ANC had brought the billing error to the municipality’s attention and the problem had been rectified. — Sapa
