The Customer Care and Revenue Management by-laws regulate the following issues:-

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section

1. Definitions

2. Scope of By-laws

IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF BY-LAWS, AND DELEGATIONS

3. Municipal Manager as responsible officer

4. Delegations

APPLICATION FOR SUPPLY OF MUNICIPAL SERVICES, SERVICE AGREEMENTS, CREDIT SCREENING, DEPOSITS, BILLING, PAYMENT FOR SERVICES SUPPLIED, AND TERMINATION OF SERVICE AGREEMENTS

5. Application for supply of municipal services and service agreements

6. Credit screening

7. Deposits

8. Billing and payment

9. Termination of service agreements

ASSESSMENT RATES

10. Amount due for assessment rates

11. Claim on rental for assessment rates in arrears

12. Liability of directors and members for assessment rates

NON-PAYMENT OF MUNICIPAL ACCOUNTS

13. Arrangement for payments

14. Interest on overdue municipal accounts

15. Debt collection mechanisms

METERING EQUIPMENT AND METERING OF SERVICES

16. General provisions

17. Metering equipment and measuring of consumption

18. Resale of water or electricity

19. Assistance to the poor

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

20. Council's powers to restrict or disconnect supply of services

21. Tampering, unauthorised connections and reconnections, and improper use

22. Clearance certificate

23. Tenders and grants-in-aid

24. Power of entry and inspection

25. Relaxation, waiver and differentiation of customers

26. Power of Council to recover costs

27. Prima facie evidence

28. Authentication and service of orders, notices and other documents

29. Abandonment of bad debts, and full and final settlement of an account

30. Right of appeal

31. Offences

32. Transitional provision

33. Saving provision

You (or your Conveyancer) can lodge the following documents to 'Land Survey Enquiries Counter' on the 3rd floor Kwantu Towers:

a) Approved land survey diagrams (SG diagrams)

b) Council subdivision application approval

c) Plumbing- and Electrical certificates

   (Council application annexures 1 & 2)

Please note that in the case of new Townships (General plans) 'service certificates' must be forwarded by the Consultant Engineer to 'Planning and Development' on the 4th floor Kwantu Towers for Municipal clearance purposes.

There are two (2) types of Billing Clearance Certificates can be issued:

• For Businesses that do not have any accounts with NMBM
• For Businesses that have accounts with NMBM

Businesses who have accounts with NMBM - the following procedures will apply:

1) Close corporation (1-10 members)

The CK document issued by the Registrar of Companies has to be produced with every Tender Application and all Identity Numbers of members/directors/persons listed on the CK Document are used to search for any accounts with outstanding balances, before a Billing Clearance Certificate can be issued.

If any accounts are in arrears, the accounts must first be paid up or arrangements made to settle outstanding debt.

Customer Care Section has to furnish the person with a letter informing NMBM: Stores that the accounts were settled or that formal arrangements have been concluded as the transactions will not reflect immediately on the customer’s account.

2) Co-Operatives

Members can be more than 10 members. In this particular instance the persons who have signing powers, and search for their personal accounts & Business Account.

Once again, Customer Care Section has to furnish the person with a letter informing NMBM: Stores that the accounts were settled or that formal arrangements have been concluded as the transactions will not reflect immediately on the customer’s account.

3) Sole Proprietorship

Single individuals with valid tax clearance certificate and ID document to check for an account in their name – Business & Residential premises.

If any accounts are in arrears, the accounts must first be paid up or arrangements made to settle outstanding debt.

Customer Care Section has to furnish the person with a letter informing NMBM: Stores that the accounts were settled or that formal arrangements have been concluded as the transactions will not reflect immediately on the customer’s account.

General Notes

• If a person/member/director is no longer with the Partnership/Co-Operative/Company/ they should go back to the Registrar of Companies to have their name/s legally removed and produce new CK document. Only then the stakeholder’s status will be omitted from the Billing Clearance Certificate.
• Individuals who are operating Businesses from home and the account are in the name of their parents and who are still living with their family cannot be held accountable for their family’s accounts. 
• Potential Suppliers who are under administration must first have their administration order rescinded and formal arrangements made before a Billing Clearance Certificate can be issued. Customer Care Section has to furnish the person with a letter informing stores that the accounts were settled or that formal arrangements have been concluded as the transactions will not reflect immediately on the customer’s account.

The municipal account holder, authorized person or director of the business whishing to tender, must call in person at the Billing Clearance office, in order to request a certificate.

The billing clearance official on duty will interrogate the NMBM Billing System to verify whether any debt is owing to NMBM and issue the relevant certificate.

If there are arrears service charges owing to NMBM, the applicant will be required to settle the full arrears or conclude suitable re-payment arrangements in terms of Council’s approved Debt Collection Policy. A copy of said policy can be found under policies on the NMBM Website in order to view details of affordable r-payment terms on offer by NMBM.

Billing Clearance Office Contact Details:

Tel: 041 – 506 3136
Fax: 041 – 086 5773 809
Email: billclear@mandelametro.gov.za
Address: NMBM Stores, Harrower Road, North End

Kindly note that a fee will be payable, in terms of Council’s approved Tariff Policy, in order to obtain two (2) copies of the billing clearance certificate. This fee will increase with each financial year, on the 1^st July. In order to confirm the fee as at today, kindly view NMBM’s Tariffs on the NMBM website.

A Billing Clearance Certificate is a document that all Registered Companies, Close Corporations, Trusts, Partnerships and a Sole Proprietorships, require when the wish to tender on any contract/supply of goods/rendering of services etc. which went out on Tender from NMBM. In order for any prospective Supplier, he / she / the business have to be registered on the NMBM Supplier Database with Trade World. The Billing Clearance Certificate contains the following information:

• Date of issue
• Time of issue
• Name of the business
• Address from which the business is being operated
• All NMBM accounts and persons linked to the application. (Business and/or Residential)
• The expiry date of the certificate which is only valid for 30 days.

When receiving the tender applications with the Billing Clearance Certificate & Tax Clearance Certificate attached, all accounts are verified on the system as paid up. If the accounts are up to date, the tender application will be accepted.

In the event that an account is in arrears, the tender application will not be considered, unless the account is paid in full or suitable arrangements have been made by the customer if he/she has a pending query on their account(s).

In instances like this Customer Care Section need to supply the person with a letter stating that formal arrangements have been concluded or that the account is paid up to date as the payments and arrangements will not reflect on the system immediately. After completion of the above, a new and valid Billing Clearance Certificate can be issued again.

A Tender Application should always be accompanied by the following legal documents:

• A valid Billing Clearance Certificate
• A valid Tax Clearance Certificate issued by SARS

Without the submission of the two legal documents, the tender application will not be considered.