Residents and businesses in the Greater Oudtshoorn municipal area with outstanding municipal accounts now have an opportunity to settle a portion of their arrears and have the balance written off.
The Oudtshoorn Municipality has announced a special Consumer Debt Relief Incentive Scheme that will run for four months, from May to August 2026.
The scheme allows qualifying consumers to pay 60% of their eligible outstanding debt as a once-off payment, after which the remaining 40% will be written off by the municipality.
According to the municipality, the scheme applies to arrear debt that was incurred before 30 November 2025 and is at least 150 days overdue.
The relief measure is available to:
• Residential consumers
• Farm water consumers
• Businesses
• Churches
• Accounts that have already been handed over to attorneys for collection
To qualify, the 60% payment must be made in full. No instalment arrangements or partial payments will be accepted.
The municipality noted that debt linked to properties requiring a rates clearance certificate for transfer, as provided for in Section 118 of the Municipal Systems Act, does not qualify for the scheme.
Municipal officials say the initiative is aimed at helping consumers who are struggling financially while also improving the municipality’s revenue collection to support sustainable service delivery.
Residents and qualifying account holders are encouraged to contact the municipality’s Revenue Department to verify their accounts and obtain more information about the terms and conditions.
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