Injustice at the highest level

<p>Good day</p> <p> </p> <p>I would like to lodge a right to water complaint. Our basic right to water has been violated in that our water has been cut for an overdue bill. I fully understand that I am in debt and that it needs to be paid, We visited the Johannesburg Municipality on the 25/07/2016, the person assisting was unfriendly and not willing to listen to our case. Instead we were told we need to pay in 50% of the debt which is equal to 30k. We have never received a bill, and have been in to correct the matter before but it was never corrected. Now we get slashed with a huge bill, which we would pay if we could, but we cant. I am the only employed person in the house, there is no way I can arrange 30k or even loan that. As far as I have found out too date, I believe that they cannot totally turn my water off, it can be slowed down to a trickle as constitutionally water is a basic human right. Furthermore I would like to state, that this behaviour from the city of JHB only happens in suburban areas. I am well aware that people in the townships have had their bills slashed or even written off in the situation I am in. It absurd to expect one to immediately come up with 30k when you over indebted, and to totally shut down the water. We will pay not saying that we won’t but with some compromise. How does one live, when you can’t even use the toilet, cook or bath. The municipalities constantly believe they can boss people around and that behaviour is displayed by the staff in their offices that are unfriendly and unwilling to listen to reason. This behaviour will never happen in Soweto, Eldorado park or Ennerdale for that matter, so why target us in the suburban areas, as it is we carry the bill for electricity that gets *******ly used. I find this abuse of power to be disgusting. It first happened to me when the electricity meters were changed and I was not found on the system and I lost the electricity that I had.</p> <p> </p> <p>Please assist in this regard its been a week now without water. I don’t think any official working there would appreciate the service they give the public if they were on the receiving end. Again I am not saying I don’t want to pay. I would love to if I got a bill. I just want my water on. Living from ones neighbours is not the right thing to do. I to am a public official and as a collective the service behaviour displayed by our counterpart I find utterly disgusting. No one should be allowed to be bul**** in this matter. The statement we received at the offices indicates that there were actual readings done when in actual fact there has been no such. No one ever comes out to read water meters. Now we are expected to cough up 30k that is not fair. </p> <p> </p> <p>Regards</p> <p> </p> <p>Neal Titus</p> <p> </p> ********** </p>