The city said it acted swiftly to investigate the problem and ensure the system was reprogrammed
The City of Tshwane has resolved a technical glitch that led to the incorrect application of cleansing charges on thousands of municipal accounts, assuring residents that credit reversals will appear on their November statements.
Billing system reprogrammed
According to the municipality, its Finance and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) teams “successfully corrected and thoroughly tested the billing system,” which had mistakenly billed some residents for cleansing services they do not receive.
The error, which stemmed from a “technical misconfiguration within the city’s billing system,” was detected earlier this year.
The city said it acted swiftly to investigate the problem and ensure the system was reprogrammed so that “cleansing charges are only applied to properties that do not receive municipal waste collection services.”
More than 11 000 accounts affected
As part of the corrective measures, Tshwane conducted a detailed technical review and verification process, followed by a bulk adjustment exercise in October 2025.
“This process impacted 11 862 accounts that were incorrectly billed,” the city confirmed.
“These accounts have now been rectified, and customers will see the reversals reflected in their November 2025 municipal statements.”
Credit adjustments are being processed in batches and will be fully visible by the end of November, the city added.
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Commitment to transparency and accuracy
The city has apologised for the inconvenience and financial uncertainty caused by the error, thanking residents for their patience during the review.
“The swift and methodical response underscores the city’s determination to ensure that all customers are billed accurately and fairly,” it said.
To prevent similar issues, Tshwane has implemented “robust preventative measures,” including stronger validation and quality control checks before billing runs, routine audits, improved staff training, and better communication with residents.
“The City of Tshwane remains unwavering in its commitment to clean governance, reliable service delivery, and financial integrity,” it said.
Residents experiencing ongoing billing discrepancies are encouraged to contact the city’s Customer Care Centre at 012 358 9999, email, or use the e-Tshwane Portal.
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