Tenants at the Conradie Park social housing development in Pinelands marched outside their complex on Tuesday evening to protest what they say are unreasonably high electricity and water charges and poor communication from their billing provider, reports Cape {town} Etc.
Residents carried placards and shared personal accounts of sudden charges and unclear invoices.
In a Facebook post on the Housing Assembly page, Kahiefah Achmat writes, ‘Affordable Social Housing has become a burden to the poor. DCI and Conradie both use a third party for electricity. These third parties service charges are slowly causing people to go into debt and they can’t afford to stay afloat. With these third parties you must have a smart [ph]one, money on the card for transactions.’
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Tenants say SmartMatter, the private micro-billing firm contracted to manage prepaid accounts, has left many households unable to afford basic services. SmartMatter describes its service as a remote metering and top-up platform that reconciles daily usage and allows multiple top-up methods.
The development is managed by Own Haven, an accredited social housing institution working with provincial and municipal partners.
Statistics underline the stakes: ‘Social housing is an affordable rental option for households earning between R1 850 and R22 000 per month,’ according to the Social Housing Regulatory Authority. A resident who is a pensioner said that she has to choose between buying food or buying electricity.
Tenants also raised urgent questions about evictions after job losses and arrears.
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Picture: Kashiefa Achmat, Housing Assembly / Facebook
