FRAUDSTER PARADISE - JO’BURG (A WORLD CLASS CITY)
JOHANNESBURG 16 MARCH 2011 : 12:00
Sonny Cox (Citizenalertza)
Amos Masipa MASONDO alleged that there are no discrepancies with the Jo’burg billing.
We do not know of anybody who has not had trouble with the local billing accounts since Masondo became the Mayor.
AFRICAN METER READING had won the tender for reading the water and electricity meters in our area.
2010 - African Meter Reading Co.
Contributed by Peter Horn
Thursday, 06 May 2010
Hi Peter - As you no doubt know, a meter reader turned up today. I asked him about schedules for future readings and he told me that there are none as no-one seems to know about meter treading dates. I've sent repeated emails to African Meter Reading Co. asking for a schedule all of which fall on deaf ears (or is that blind eyes?). The meter reader who came last month had a handheld device, today's reader had a print-out of meters on which he was writing meter readings. He could not explain (naturally) why my last reading did not appear on my a/c but assured me this reading will. I wait now with bated breath!! Cheers
RG
The City Power Web Page gives the dates only for the first Quarter 2010
THE PRINTERS
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THE CITY MANAGERS
Jo'burg residents march over billing crisis
Charges laid against mayor
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Jo'burg residents march over billing crisis
Written by Peter Horn
Friday, 18 February 2011
Feb 18, 2011 11:08 AM | By Sapa
Johannesburg residents protested outside the city's customer service centre in Braamfontein on Friday to protest against the billing crisis.
Photograph by: LEN KUMALO
We are tired of politicians pillaging our money.
Protesters, led by Democratic Alliance councillor David Dewes, handed over a memorandum of demands to a representative for the city's finance department.
"Political parties are not going to fix the problem. The people of this country will," shouted Dewes in a voice that could be heard a block away.
"We are tired of politicians pillaging our money."
He was referring to the over-billing of many Johannesburg residents for rates and utilities followed by disconnection if the bills are not paid.
The small group of angry Johannesburg residents, unhindered by the rain, danced and sang: "Our brothers are abusing us, come to Soweto."
Head of the city's financial department, Viki Shupeng, said the city had set up a hotline where residents could register complaints and that the billing crisis would be resolved "soon".
Charges laid against mayor
Written by SIPHO MASONDO
Friday, 18 February 2011
Blairgowrie resident takes the billing crisis to court
Feb 17, 2011 10:54 PM | By SIPHO MASONDO
In a bold move a Johannesburg man is pressing criminal charges against Johannesburg mayor Amos Masondo and his finance chief, Parks Tau, for failing to respond to his questions about the municipal services billing fiasco.
Amos Masondo the Mayor of Johnnesburg
Photograph by: Elizabeth Sejake
'Last night I went to the Linden police and laid the charges'
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Blairgowrie resident Linus Muller charged Masondo and Tau with contravening the Municipal Systems Act at Linden police station. He said he had been forced to do so after Masondo and Tau failed to respond to repeated requests that they provide him with a detailed plan of action for ending the billing crisis.
Muller said he had asked Masondo and Tau to stop withholding municipal services from "defaulters" until they had resolved the billing problems
Early last month, Muller said, he sent an e-mail to Masondo and Tau, and high-ranking officials of the Gauteng legislature, requesting information.
"In February, I sent a reminder e-mail, to which they also didn't respond. I reminded them that they were in contravention of the Municipal Systems Act, which dictates that members of the public have the right to a prompt response to written or oral communication after complaints to the municipal council or to other political structures ... or the administration of a municipality."
When the deadline expired, Muller decided to press charges. "The charges were made as an absolute last resort due to the act being violated and the city's constant denial that there is a crisis," he said.
Muller, who has taken it upon himself to seek answers on behalf of Blairgowrie Residents' Association, said last week that he had complained to the Public Protector, on behalf of four residents in his area, about Masondo, Tau and Vicky Shuping, executive director of the municipal Billing and Revenue Department. The three, he said, had failed to respond to questions about the four residents' billing problems.
Muller said Johann Kritzinger, of Northcliff, one of the residents, has not received a bill since August last year.
"He is a pensioner and has been paying an estimate. He has followed up with the call centre but he didn't get any help."
Muller said Kritzinger last week received a disconnection warning and a letter demanding R70000.
"He doesn't own a mansion; it's a normal middle-class home."
Muller said that if he did not get satisfaction from the courts and the Public Protector, he would approach Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane and Co-operative Governance Minister Sicelo Shiceka.
Last month, Shiceka, who himself is a victim of the billing crisis, said that he would consider investigating the city's billing problems.
The Joburg Advocacy Group is to march this morning at the council's customer service centre at Thuso House, Braamfontein. The group will hand to city officials a demand to the end of the crisis.
Masondo has repeatedly denied that there is a crisis but this month said it would take up to two years to fix the billing system.
The billing crisis has been blamed on incompetence in the implementation of Project Phakama, an IT system intended to streamline billing.
Billing battles intensify
Written by Ilham Rawoot
Saturday, 12 February 2011
While Johannesburg faces a water and electricity billing crisis, behind the scenes the metropolitan council has had to deal with an internal fracas between companies contracted to implement billing software, an internal report penned last year reveals.
The report by an ANC-led task team for the city also finds that the council made a bad decision in appointing Dimension Data, which is currently implementing the SAP software created to solve billing glitches. The report says that Dimension Data should be replaced by its predecessor, software giant IBM.
"The decision to appoint DD is unsound and illogical and has exposed the [city] to extremely high levels of risk," reads the report. "It was based on a wrong risk assessment. The highest risk lies with the departure of IBM because it is the original equipment manufacturer and applications vendor."
It goes on to recommend that the council rescind the decision to appoint Dimension Data "as the prime contractor to deliver the remainder of contract A117 and should appoint IBM as the prime contractor".
The report observes that both Dimension Data and IBM were brought in as strategic partners of the first company contracted to implement the software programme, Masana Technologies, but that "it is not clear whether the contract was put out to tender". But Alpheus Mangale, Dimension Data spokesperson, says that Dimension Data was selected "under tender".
But matters between the two subcontractors turned sour. "IBM has taken a position that it will not work with Dimension Data," reads the report. "The city was faced with choosing between the two … IBM advised the city that a mutually acceptable arrangement could not be reached between IBM and DD. DD cited unacceptable terms proposed by IBM."
Unfair process
Furthermore, IBM was unhappy with the process used by the council to appoint Dimension Data, believing that it was not given an equal opportunity to present its proposals.
The report says that the council received a R158-million loan from IBM, but gives no further details. The task team, comprising three prominent ANC members, also explains the city's earlier problems with Project Phakama, when it appointed Masana Technologies as the main contractor to implement software created first by Venus and then German multinational SAP.
"We took a decision to 'marry' Accenture [management company] and Masana in an attempt to get them to work together. The marriage did not work and Accenture pulled out … there were lots of delays at huge costs while the transition with the withdrawal of Accenture was being managed," the report says.
"Masana did not have adequate capacity to manage the complex obligations … [and] underestimated the enormity of the task. It led to it being unable to meet its obligations."
Last week the Mail & Guardian reported that three of the directors of Masana had worked for the city, City Power or the Gauteng government within a year of it being awarded the contract.
The city would not comment.
CITY HISTORY
Some time ago the City of Johannesburg had the deadline for payments of Municipal accounts at 25 of the MONTH. One week before the actual beginning of the new month.
Now it is on the 14 of the MONTH. Two Weeks before the end of the month. The accounts are dated the 21 of the given MONTH.
THE METER READING CONTRACTORS : 2010 - 2011
AMR readers have been reading the meters as follows:
2010
AUGUST 2010 THURSDAY 5TH AUGUST 2010
SEPTEMBER 2010 FRIDAY 3rd SEPTEMBER 2010
OCTOBER 2010 5th OCTOBER 2010
NOVEMBER 2010 3rd NOVEMBER 2010
DECEMBER 2010 3rd DECEMBER 2010
2011
JANUARY 2011 7th JANUARY 2011
FEBRUARY 2011 7th FEBRUARY 2011
MARCH 2011 7th MARCH 2011
(FUTURE) APRIL 2011 5th APRIL 2011.
THE CITY OF JOHANNESBURG CONTRACTED THE AMR (AFRICA METER READERS)
The managers were given reading dates in advance.
If the accounts department make out accounts on 21 of any given MONTH and the readers read the meters on 03 – 07 of the MONTH, then, how will the Jo’Burg books ever balance. Consumers are automatically left with “ESTIMATED” reading which are jacked up with at least R300.00 higher than a normal account.
The JoBurg council demands you pay in that extra R300,00 which you never see again.
Should you pay your normal monthly amount, you are forced to pay interest on outstanding payments on a 30 – 60 day TOTAL AMOUNT OUTSTANDING?
I am a victim of this organised crime syndicate within the Johannesburg City Council.
THIS IS TANTAMOUNT TO THEFT AND FRAUD ON BEHALF OF THE CITY COUNCIL.
AMOS MASONDO HAS BEEN GIVEN AN ESCAPE ROUTE. IF HE RETIRES NOW HE WILL BE GIVEN A GOLDEN HANDSHAKE PAID FOR BY THE PROCEEDS OF THEFT & FRAUD ACQUIRED BY WILLFUL DECEIT. HE WILL NOT BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE!
This is happening to all ANC stakeholders who are corrupt in SA.
SOMEBODY/ORGANISATION SHOULD GET A COURT ORDER ATTACHING MASONDO’S PERSONAL ASSETS & PROPERTIES BEFORE IT IS LOST TO NATIONAL CORRUPTION!
HOW LONG MUST WE PUT UP WITH CORRUPT GOVERNMENT?
Comments by Sonny
About a year ago the CEO/Owners of AMR were accused to have been stealing wages from their employees. What happened to that investigation?
Then these Cronies hit you with hidden costs which they cannot account for : NETWORK CHARGED R58.60 pm.
SERVICE CHARGE R215,54pm.
DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT LEVY –R15.50
REPEATED – DEMAND SIDE MANAGEMENT LEVY R26.22.
REFUSE REMOVAL BIN R128.00 (This is not optional – you cannot purchase the bin).
ELECTRICITY SLIDING SCALE FOR 62 DAY PERIOD.
WATER & SANITATION SLIDING SCALE 31 DAY PERIOD.
WHO ARE THE CRIMINALS HERE?
....."In a bold move a Johannesburg man is pressing criminal charges against Johannesburg mayor Amos Masondo and his finance chief, Parks Tau, for failing to respond to his questions about the municipal services billing fiasco.".....
WE MUST JOIN THIS BOLD MAN AND LAY OUR THEFT/FRAUD CASES WITH THE SAPS!
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