Musina's mayor, Cllr Nkhanedzeni Godfrey Mawela, has called upon unemployed South Africans and those who fall in the lower-income group to register for free municipal services.
Registration for this benefit opened on Monday, 9 May, so that the registered beneficiaries can start to receive services as soon as the new municipal financial year commences on 1 July 2022. The closing date for registration is 30 June this year.
Upon successful registration, beneficiaries will receive a quota of free electricity, water, sewer and refuse-removal services every month. More than 3 000 beneficiaries are currently benefitting from these services.
According to Mawela, the municipality has budgeted R4 million for the purpose of subsidising indigent community members. "We urge people to make full use of this opportunity because there will be no extension of applications beyond the closing date. This is in line with our indigent policy that has been approved by council. As government, we understand that we have consumers who need our services but are unable to pay for the full services due to the fact that they are low-income earners. Each beneficiary of the municipality's indigent policy receives 6 kilolitres of water, 55 kilowatts of electricity and 100% free sewer and refuse removal services every month. Indigent people are those whose joint family monthly income is R3 820 or less."
The municipality has made registration points available, so that community members do not have to travel long distances to register. The registration points include Matswale Clinic, Nancefield Gym, Nancefield and Skoonplaas municipal offices, Matswale municipal satellite office, Extension 10 SAPS satellite office, Harper, Campbell and municipal offices in Musina Town and Madimbo Thusong Centre. In the rural areas, designated ward-committee members are in all the villages and community members are urged to contact these ward councillors for more information.
Applicants must bring along a copy of their ID, as well as a copy of their spouse's ID (if married), copies of dependents' birth certificates, a recent municipal account, electricity meter number, proof of income in the form of a payslip or bank statement, and a sworn affidavit if the applicant is unemployed. Those who receive social grants must also provide proof thereof.