EFF to table motion to scrap debt of some Ekurhuleni households

The City of Ekurhuleni council will on Thursday debate a motion that could have the city scrap the debt of all indigent residents who owe it money. In a statement on Tuesday, the EFF said it had proposed the motion to protect indigent households from credit control and debt collection measures. The party said it also wants to ensure that the municipality’s Credit Control and Debt Collection Policy complies with the Indigent Support Policy.

Dunga said the motion is also calling for the proper deployment of newly appointed indigent field workers to assist elderly residents, persons living with disabilities and child-headed households with registration and compliance processes. “The objective is to expand access to indigent support – not to criminalise poverty. This intervention follows the ongoing struggles of residents in Thembisa and other townships across Ekurhuleni who are demanding fairness, dignity and uninterrupted access to basic services.” Dunga said the EFF maintains that poverty must never be treated as a crime, and that municipalities must distinguish between those who cannot pay and those who deliberately refuse to pay.

“The EFF will continue to use its presence in council to defend the poor and to ensure that municipal policies are implemented in a manner that advances social justice and economic freedom in our lifetime,” he said. The motion comes at a time when Thembisa residents and the City of Ekurhuleni areat loggerheadsover the money owed to the city for municipal rates and services.