Indigent Customers Policy (1 July 2024)
Indigent Customers Policy (1 July 2024)
2.1 The Municipal Council must give priority to the basic needs of the community, promote the social and economic development of the community, and ensure that all residents and communities in the Municipality have access to at least the minimum level of basic municipal services in terms of Section 152(1) (b) and 153(b) of the Constitution.
2.2 Basic services are generally regarded to be access to electricity, access to clean water within a reasonable distance of one’s dwelling, basic sanitation, solid waste removal and access to and availability of roads.
2.3 The Constitution recognises Local Government as a distinct sphere of Government and as such also entitles Local Government to a share of nationally raised revenue, which will enable it to perform their basic function of providing essential services to the community within their boundaries.
2.4 The key purpose of an indigent subsidy policy is to ensure that households with no or lower income are not denied a reasonable service, and on the contrary the Municipality is not financially burdened with non-payment of services. Provided that grants are received, and funds are available, the indigent subsidy policy should remain intact.
2.5 To achieve the purpose, it is important to set a fair threshold level, and then to provide a fair subsidy of tariffs.
2.6 The customer, to qualify as an indigent, needs to complete the necessary documentation as required and agree to regulations and restrictions stipulated by Mangaung Municipality.