Note to Editors: Please find attached Bebsie-Cronje-English-Soundbite
-DA is deeply concerned about extremely high municipal bills received by residents.
– Residents have a right to ask why some accounts have increased by hundreds or even thousands of rand.
– Newcastle residents deserve transparency, accountability and reliable services.
The Democratic Alliance in Newcastle is deeply concerned about the extremely high municipal bills received by residents in August 2026 for July consumption.
The DA is calling for an urgent investigation, full disclosure of billing complaints, and a dedicated public engagement session where residents can receive clear answers directly from municipal officials.
At a time when households are already struggling with rising living costs, residents are being confronted with municipal accounts that, in some cases, have increased dramatically beyond the headline tariff increases approved for 2026/27.
The municipality indicated increases of 6% on property rates, 9% on electricity consumption, 6% on electricity availability charges, 7% on water and 6% on sanitation, while refuse tariffs were indicated at 0%. Residents therefore have a right to ask why some accounts have increased by hundreds or even thousands of rand.
The DA calls on Newcastle Municipality to provide an urgent and transparent explanation of how these accounts were calculated, including whether estimated meter readings, billing-system changes, previous under-billing, changed meter-reading cycles, property valuations or billing errors contributed to the increases.
Residents must also be given a fair and accessible mechanisms to dispute incorrect accounts without unnecessary penalties or disconnections. Where municipal billing errors are confirmed, residents must not be held responsible. Reasonable payment arrangements should also be considered while disputed accounts are investigated.
This situation is particularly concerning because residents continue to experience problems with water interruptions, infrastructure failures, electricity, roads, refuse collection and sanitation.
The fundamental question is:
If residents are being charged more, where is the corresponding improvement in services?
Newcastle residents deserve transparency, accountability and reliable services – not simply bigger bills.