Msunduzi Municipality
Senior officials in the Msunduzi Municipality are considering establishing a “special force” that could enter “no-go” areas to assist municipal staff in conducting revenue collection initiatives. They stated that certain areas of the municipality have become no-go areas, making it impossible for the municipality to collect debt owed by customers in those regions.
The officials, led by Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla, appeared before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) on Wednesday, where they briefed the committee on matters of governance.
The Msunduzi delegation, which had 16 people, came under fire from the Scopa committee. The committee complained that the delegation, which had travelled to Cape Town, was too large and viewed its size as a waste of resources.
The municipality detailed its challenges with revenue collection, stating that the city is “facing severe financial difficulties.” It said despite aggressive collection tactics, it is still owed close to R10 billion by ratepayers.
