PRESS STATEMENT01 May 2020EXTENSION OF COVID_19 RELIEF FOR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS

Residents and business owners can breathe a sigh of relief as Mayor Kaunda signed an extension for the Covid_19 debt relief that was meant to end yesterday, 30 June 2020.

Customers now have until 31 December 2020, to ensure that they settle outstanding debt.

The special relief payment has also been amended as follows: RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS

Residential customers may enter into a payment plan agreement with the Municipality and pay between 10% to 25% of the capital debt, as a down payment.

BUSINESS CUSTOMERSBusiness customers are legible to enter into a payment plan agreement with the Municipality and pay between 25% and 50% of the capital debt, as a down payment. The conditions of this extension are as follow:Customer may enter into a credit agreement with the Municipality on condition that the owing customer pays a stipulated down payment towards the capital debt (excluding interest) on or before 31 December 2020;The debt must be ninety (90) days and older;Total interest accumulated and raised to the customer account will be written off;Interest written off will be re-instated when the customer defaults on payment plan.The customer to enter into payment plan agreement for the balance of the outstanding debt over a maximum period of 24 months.There will be no interest raised during the period of the payment plan agreement.Existing customers on payment plan may cancel the existing agreement and enter into this once off relief.This incentive is a once-off relief for the period beginning on 1 June 2020 and ending on 31 December 2020.

Should a customer default on the payment plan with the Municipality, all interest written-off under the conditions of Covid_19 Special Payment Relief will be reinstated and the total debt (including interest) will be due for collection.

Customers who wish to enter into this payment relief may be assisted at the following Customer Services centres:
CBD Florence Mkhize BuildingNorth Phoenix Branch OfficeVerulamTongaatKwa Mashu Main South Western Chatsworth Branch OfficeShallcross, SizakalaSouth Umlazi Mega City,SizakalaWinkelspruitCraigieburnKwa Mnyandu, Sizakala Western HillcrestPinetown Civic CentreFor queries can be sent via the correspondence portal: http://correspondence.durban.gov.za:200/ or visit the nearest Customer Centre.

ENDS

Issued by the eThekwini Municipality’s Communications Unit. For media enquiries contact Municipality’s Spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela on 060 966 4220