Tired and weary of City of Johannesburg

Good day

I would like to report City of Joburg Municipality. We had a shop in our yard for some years and we have been charges for unauthorised use of property since then and they were around R2900. When we tried to register it things were not working out so we decided to close the shop as of 27 February 2023 and I sent an email to COJ that the shop has closed, this email was sent on the of March 2023. This is my account number *** (ERF 837). I was pregnant with my 2nd born at this period.

We then asked department of infrastructure to come and inspect and take pictures of the shop that really was closed. They came after a couple visits to them to, and it was Gezani who came. We had tried to get them to come since before Owen Mda became sick. At that time it was Gezani who pushed and eventually came to inspect the premises.

Once Gezani inspected and took pictures he advised that he would get the office to stop and cancel the unauthorised fees. This didn't happen, I continued coming to the office to get this sorted and at this time my baby was born and I was traveling to the offices with my baby to get this sorted. Some people in that office would shout at me for bringing the baby because he was 1 month old, and I explained that I had no choice because the government is taking money that I can be using for the same baby's nappies and milk.

Eventually I met Owen Mda and he asked me to get an affidavit confirming the closure of the shop as he couldn't find our file. I wrote the affidavit and delivered it. When I came again to follow in September 2023 up he couldn't find my previous affidavit and I had to create another one and deliver it at their offices again. I did so again carrying my baby to their offices, every time I went there I had my baby with me and he advised that he would get the process going.

At this time I had taken his number for follow ups, I continued following up on the phone to find out how far the process was and he would ignore my messages or phonecalls on whatsapp as well as normal calls.

He at some point responded that the reversal was effected but I couldn't see it on my side on the statement. He then sent me a screenshot which confirmed that this was done and it stated that the reversal should be effected from 1 September 2023

When I asked him what the next step was he advised that the reversal will be done, and when I asked who I can follow up with he said he doesn't know.

Today is the 13th of December 2024, and as I speak with you all the charges are still on my statement and they have now been doubled to R6000+. I didn't manage to pay my November 2024 amount becasue of medical bills from giving birth which had alot of complications. In fact I have been at home for 2 days now after being discharged because I went back to hospital this week because of some major discomfort I was feeling. On Friday the 13th I went to City of Joburg in Braamfontein to make a new arrangement and to explain to them what happened and why I couldn't come in sooner to make arrangement, they advised that my R2000 deposit is too small and I need to now pay the arrears of R42k in order to sorted and then I should continue with the payment arrangement. 😢 I do not have this money to pay the City and I defaulted because I was in hospital. The lady also said I should try and follow up with the Ombudsman on the query that I had put in, but please tell me who has received feedback from the ombudsman before because I haven't received any. And even following up with them, they require you to have a reference number from the first department (in my case a reference number from the department of infrastructure, which I was never given but I was just advised by word of mouth that it will be sorted).

I feel like it doesn't matter what reason I or any person gives to the City for nonpayment, they refuse to see it from a human perspective, that we are human as they are human and need their help. It seems like they don't want us to own homes anymore.

As I speak to you, I have parked my car in my garage because I cannot afford to take it to the mechanic for fixing because I have been trying to pay the City of Joburg, I also cannot buy proper clothes for my children or food for them because a huge chunk of R5000 was going to City of Joburg every month. If my bond is R6 000, what salary does the city of joburg think I am earning that is able to pay for all these charges? Not forgetting that I have children in the house that I also need to pay school fees for and any day now because they refused to let me make an arrangement after I offered my R2000 deposit they will be coming to disconnect my water, where will I go with my kids and a new born baby? This is honestly the worst thing I have ever had to go through in the hands of our beloved City of Joburg. Because it seems our cries go on deaf ears, or they are deciding not to listen to us on purpose and closing their ears to the plight of the poor even those that make an effort to try and sort out things with them. I am not running away but I am asking them to atleast meet me halfway by reversing these charges and cancelling them from my account.

I had tried reporting this incident to the ombudsman in January 2024, I received feedback only in November 2024 saying they acknowledge my request but returned again in December 2024 that there was a fault in their system therefore we should disregard that email.

I also feel that our government has too much manual processes, if this was automated or rather if there was a systematic process that they followed my issue would have been resolved a long time ago.

Signed

Tired and weary, (I will keep posting until someone hears me)

In fact I shouldn't even be trying to make an arrangement because the City is the one that owes me, if they cancel and reverse and regulate these charges, my account will be clean with no arrears to make that arrangement and the charges will come normal.