The City of Johannesburg's Office of the Ombudsman achieves strong performance metrics despite severe understaffing and overwhelming complaints from residents. Billing disputes and service failures dominate cases, pushing the office beyond capacity. While it resolves many issues for free, delays and unresolved matters erode public trust.
The Office of the Ombudsman in Johannesburg has recorded impressive results for 2024/25, including 99% processing compliance, a 70% resolution rate, and a 61% reduction in backlog cases. It also conducted 21 proactive investigations into issues like potholes, burst pipes, and neglected parks. However, these successes hide a deeper crisis: the office is under-resourced, with a R6-million underspend stemming from unfilled positions, including the loss of the executive manager for complaints and investigations.
A small team of legally trained investigators manages up to 200 cases each, far exceeding the international best practice of 30. Advocate Colman Ramontja, acting executive manager of the Complaints and Investigations Unit, highlighted the office's free services: “Why do people spend money on lawyers for billing and municipal issues when they can come to us for free? We have legally trained investigators, we check every matter meticulously, and we tell you upfront whether you have a case — and we conduct free mediation between parties, bringing them together to avoid court action — all free of charge.”
Billing disputes form the bulk of over 1,200 annual complaints, involving unexplained charges, missing payments, and unjustified disconnections. Ramontja noted, “We are overwhelmed because of the mess in the city. Service delivery has collapsed in many, many areas. Residents come to us only after every other avenue has failed.” Standard timeframes—acknowledgement in five working days, assessment in 14, and resolution in 90—are often unmet due to the workload.
Successes include resolving a decade-long dispute for building owner Mr Iwuangawu by reversing charges from 2014 to 2021 and installing a new meter. At Kruda Court, the office corrected billing for 15 flats misclassified as 21 units, reversing overcharges. Yet failures persist, such as pensioner Shabbir Karim's ignored R375,000 water bill and the unresolved overbilling at Riverstone Body Corporate.
The office achieved a 92.8% closure rate in the final quarter and engaged over 9,000 residents through outreach. With 99% of rulings implemented, it remains a vital, free resource, though sustained dysfunction in city departments risks its future effectiveness. Ramontja emphasized, “Residents should always remember — we are on their side, even if we are funded by the city.”