JOHANNESBURG - Johannesburg is facing a deepening debt crisis.
A new report warns the city is operating on "fiscal fiction", budgeting on revenue that it never fully collects.
The Centre for Development and Enterprise found unpaid bills have grown from R15 billion to nearly R72 billion over the past decade.
One in every six rand billed by the municipality is now going unpaid.
Analysts warn this has created a debt spiral, with rising non-payment forcing the City to raise tariffs on paying customers, further pressuring households and businesses.
The report also highlights a growing gap between the City's reported revenue and the cash it actually collects. This means Joburg looks good on paper but is suffering a cash shortage.