Rehana Rossouw
IT really was a terrific urban legend. It went like this. If residents of Mitchells Plain paid R1 towards their arrears, the balance on their service accounts would be scrapped.
So strong was the legend that Cape Town’s city council offices had to be shut down as thousands rushed to join queues to pay their R1.
Georgina September, of Lentegeur, queued for four-and- a-half hours on Friday. “My legs were stiff and sore, but it was worth it. I owe the council R380 and it was worth waiting to pay R1 instead.”
September’s neighbour told her of the city council’s generous offer and she rushed to join the queue, clutching her rates account. She said her receipt was the only proof she had that the offer was genuine. “They wouldn’t have taken my money and given me a receipt if it wasn’t true.”
“Of course we gave them receipts,” said council spokesman Ted Doman. “We aren’t thieves, if people pay we record their payment.” Doman said between Thursday and Monday when the council finally managed to squash the rumour, more than 14 000 people had paid R1 towards their arrears. “We had to close our offices in Beacon Valley on Saturday morning. The queue was long already when the staff arrived and they decided there would be murder if they didn’t take all those rands. People must understand that if they have paid R1 they will still owe their full arrears, nothing has changed,” Doman said.