Neelam Rahim | neelam@radioislam.co.za 
3-minute read
10 September 2025 | 09:00 CAT

📸 Frustrated Johannesburg residents take to the streets, demanding accountability over the city’s broken billing system. “Our City, Our Voices” rings louder as communities unite against inflated tariffs and unlawful disconnections. Image credits: OUTA

Johannesburg’s long-standing billing woes have reached breaking point, as residents increasingly seek legal relief against what they describe as a “nightmare” system riddled with inflated tariffs, unlawful disconnections, and administrative chaos.

Speaking at the Johannesburg Crisis Alliance Summit, Khule Duma of the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group highlighted the stark gap between revenue collection and Treasury expectations. “Revenue collection sits just at about 82%, well short of National Treasury’s 95% mark,” he said, underscoring the city’s desperate attempts to increase revenue at all costs.

For many residents, the impact has been devastating. Julia Fish, Project Manager at The Johannesburg Community Action Network (JoburgCAN), told Radio Islam International that the system is fundamentally broken. “There’s just no recognition that the city actually has no control over what’s happening with its billing crisis,” she explained. “The biggest problem is that the city has invested in metering that can be read remotely, but it’s not working.”

The ripple effects extend far beyond technical failures. Residents who raise disputes about incorrect meter readings often find themselves disconnected illegally, in direct violation of the city’s own bylaws. “If a customer has logged a dispute, the city is not supposed to enact any debt collection. But none of this is flagged for the people on the ground carrying out disconnections,” Fish said.

What has angered residents further is the city’s double standard. “Ironically, it’s a pay-first, ask-questions-later process,” Fish added. “When the city had a dispute with Eskom, they simply stopped paying. Yet residents are expected to comply without question.”

For those who choose to fight back, the financial burden is enormous. The city, instead of correcting errors, often uses ratepayers’ money to defend itself in court. “We’re paying with our own money to fight the city, and in most cases the courts are handing down punitive cost orders,” Fish noted.

Attempts to hold individuals accountable have been stymied by instability at the top. The city manager, who is legally the final accounting officer, post has been vacant since February, with two acting appointments failing to bring stability. “That person is supposed to be held personally liable,” Fish said, “but because the position keeps changing, accountability is avoided.”

As frustration mounts, Johannesburg residents are left entangled in a system where administrative hurdles, expensive litigation, and leadership instability threaten to undermine faith in the city’s governance.

Listen to the full interview on Sabahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat and Julia Fish.