By Thapelo Molefe
The City of Johannesburg on Thursday rejected “false” and “alarmist” claims that its billing system had collapsed, saying there was no evidence that 1.5 million accounts were affected or that property transfers across the metro had ground to a halt.
In a statement, the city said recent reports had exaggerated billing disruptions and risked causing unnecessary panic among residents, investors and the property sector.
ALSO READ: Vaal crash driver Ayanda Dludla to apply for bail
“These claims are factually incorrect, misleading, irresponsible, and risk creating unnecessary panic,” the city said.
The response follows reports by conveyancers and property professionals who described severe disruption linked to the electronic billing platform, including problems with payment allocation, access to billing data and the issuing of clearance figures needed for property transfers.
Director for communications and stakeholder engagement in group finance, Kgamanyane Maphologela, said the city had found no basis for claims of a system-wide collapse.
“There is no evidence to support assertions that the City’s systems have collapsed or that property transfers across Johannesburg have come to a standstill,” he said.
Johannesburg’s billing system has for years been a source of frustration for residents and businesses, with repeated complaints over incorrect charges, unexplained arrears and delays in resolving disputes. That history has contributed to scepticism each time the city insists its systems remain stable.
ALSO READ: IFP takes Nongoma, PA snatches Eastern Cape ward from ANC
The municipality said the number of active accounts stood at 1,075,793.
“The claim that 1.5 million accounts are frozen, that no manual processes exist, or that property transfers have halted is simply untrue and unnecessarily alarmist,” said acting Group head for the revenue shared service centre, Lufuno Mashau.
“No credible evidence has been provided to support these figures.”
The city said payments made through official channels were continuing to process normally and that isolated delays experienced in February had been resolved.
Property transfers are particularly sensitive because they depend on municipal clearance certificates confirming that rates and service charges have been settled. Without those certificates, transfers cannot be registered, meaning billing delays can quickly spill into the property market.
But the city said property-related services remained operational, with both online and manual systems functioning. It said clearance applications continued to be processed within 30 days, while certificates were issued within 24 hours of payment confirmation.
ALSO READ: Makgori learners in NW set to return after protests over teachers, infrastructure
City figures for February show 4,921 clearance figure applications were received, of which 4,830 were processed within 30 days. It said 3,468 clearance certificate applications were received and paid, and 3,449 were issued within 24 hours.
For January, the city said it received 4,894 clearance figure applications and processed 4,686 within 30 days. It said 2,962 clearance certificate applications were received and 2,946 issued within 24 hours.
The municipality added that it had issued more than 10,000 clearance certificates per quarter in the first two quarters of the 2025/2026 financial year, which it said showed continued operational capacity.
The city said it held structured quarterly engagements with conveyancing stakeholders, including the Johannesburg Attorneys Association, to resolve challenges and improve service delivery. It added that it was rolling out improved digital platforms to make it easier for customers to log billing queries.
“While technical challenges may occur from time to time, these do not constitute a system collapse,” Maphologela said.