By Tabisa Mntengwana
12 February 2009

TENS of thousands of indigent residents are already registered on the City’s indigent database – and the campaign to sign up all indigent people, Operation Xhamla, is still going strong.

The areas already visited are Kwetyana, Mngqesha, Tshabo and Dimbaza, where more than 400 people registered on Wednesday, 11 February. Operation Xhamla will run until 30 March. The indigent policy is set to ensure that all people who earn less than R1 800 a month register for free basic services.

To help indigent customers the City contributes R224,94 towards their municipal accounts. According to a municipal press release, these indigent customers will then receive services including sewage, rates, fire levy, water and refuse collection.

"This includes six kilolitres of water worth R24,88 and 50kwh of electricity worth R20,25 free each month,” said the municipal spokesperson, Samkelo Ngwenya. “We also contribute R79 towards the accounts of those who use fewer services each month.”

Indigent beneficiaries do not have to collect application forms; instead City officials are visiting communities to avoid the possibility of qualifying indigents being excluded because they were not informed.

“This process has helped the community of Dimbaza in more ways than one,” said the ward councillor, Ndileka Gedze. “The City is trying by all means to meet the needs of the poor.”

Lizo Matayi, who registered in Dimbaza, said: “I’m really grateful to the City for [brining these] facilities closer to us. I now know after this process I will have water and electricity.”

Unemployed father of two Matayi and his wife are informal traders. “We live by selling fat cakes and fruit and when we don’t have electricity we loose a lot of money,” he said.

“As an unemployed consumer this kind of service helps a lot. At times the electricity cuts off before time and I don’t have means to buy more,” said Monde Jolingwana, also from Dimbaza.

“When I am benefiting from this service it will be much better because electricity problems will be a thing of the past.”

The indigent policy also focuses on people in underdeveloped areas like informal settlements, rural areas and places with high levels of poverty. Requirements for qualification include:

• The applicant must reside at a fixed property;
• Have a valid South African identity document;
• If married, the applicant's spouse must have a valid identity document;
• Affidavit for the unemployed;
• Payslip if employed;
• Meter box number;
• Bank statement or pension card; and
• Signature of the ward councillor.

In the next coming weeks, Operation Xhamla will visit Ndevana, Khwetyana, Pefferville, Mbekweni, New Rest, Cambridge, Qongqotha, Nompumelelo, Ncerha, Tolofiyeni and various units of Mdantsane.

Beneficiaries are pleased that the City is bringing the register to them. The ward councillor for Nompumelelo, John Cupido, said, “It means a lot for the community of Nompumelelo to receive services closer to them. Most of them can’t afford to go to town to register for themselves and this is an opportunity for them to receive services in a central venue.”

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