Petition addressed to: Municipal Manager / Public Protector

Community Petition Against Umzinyathi District Municipality

We, the undersigned residents, property owners, and ratepayers within the Umzinyathi District Municipality, hereby lodge a formal petition to express our ongoing concerns and dissatisfaction with the Municipality’s persistent failure to deliver essential services and to manage accounts in a transparent and efficient manner.
Despite numerous attempts by individual residents to engage with the Municipality, the following issues remain unresolved:

1. Non-issue of monthly municipal statements, resulting in ratepayers being unable to verify charges or manage accounts timeously.
2. Inaccurate meter readings, often resulting in incorrect and unfair billing.
3. Excessive and inconsistent billing, not reflective of actual usage or consumption.
4. Failure of municipal staff to assist ratepayers when contacted via telephone or email.
5. Failure to address or resolve disputes and concerns formally raised by residents.
6. Unlawful disconnection of services and removal of meters without prior notice, in violation of fair administrative procedure.
7. Continuous water shedding and prolonged periods of no water supply, due to the Municipality’s failure to maintain and upgrade essential infrastructure.
8. General neglect of water infrastructure, leading to repeated service interruptions and poor water quality in affected areas.