Chairperson, yes, obviously, the billing system is only one of several reasons, and amongst them is the fact that municipalities don't necessarily have the financial management skills to secure the revenue that is due to them.
Secondly, there are a large number of indigents who simply cannot pay, and with the post-2008 global economic crisis and its effects on our shores, some one million or more people have lost their jobs. That too means that the pressures on municipalities have increased. Thirdly, there is a flow of migrants, both within the country to certain municipalities that are urban and seem to have better prospects for jobs, and also from outside our country, understandably, from Southern Africa and elsewhere. All of these pressures mean that there are large numbers of people who are in these municipalities who cannot afford to pay the debt owed to the municipalities.
I must also point out that businesses owe a significant amount of this debt. Really, it's unpardonable that you should have a business and not pay your basic service charges and your rates and the like.
In short, there is a wide range of reasons and as we improve the system of co-operative governance, improve the model of local government that we are seeking to improve, and improve our financial management skills at the level of local government, we will be in a better position to address this debt problem. However, it is a huge problem. It is going to be on our agenda for a while, but we can certainly reduce the debt.