City writes off R526m in ratepayer debt

CLOSE to half a billion rand in debt owed by deceased estates has been written off by the eThekwini Municipality.

- THAMI MAGUBANE

The mayor said thousands of people have applied through the deceased estate debt write-off programme and had their debts written off.

Last year, the City announced the programme, informing beneficiaries that if there is debt older than 24 months, they may qualify for a debt write-off. The other requirements included that the property value must not exceed R1 million, and the beneficiary must be willing to take over the municipal account to prevent any re-emerging debt.

It was noted that the property must be solely owned by the deceased, and applicants were encouraged to report the late estate to the Master of the High Court. The applicant must be of South African descent.

Mayor Cyril Xaba provided an update on the programme yesterday.