Officials in Johannesburg have apologised to Nelson Mandela after he was sent a warning that his water and electricity could be cut off over an unpaid bill.
They said the notice demanding payment of 6468.48 rand ($US660) should have been sent to a different house.
The BBC reports Mr Mandela, 97, has been in hospital since 8 June with a recurring lung infection.
"The city wants to convey an apology to the Mandela family for any inconvenience caused by this unfortunate incident," the City of Johannesburg said in a statement.
Spokesman Kgamanyane Maphologela explained that the address and account number on the notice "belonged to another customer and property in a neighbouring suburb, not to the Mandela residence".
The street number and name are the same, just in a different area.
The BBC reports officials in Johannesburg have faced a barrage of complaints over bungled utility bills affecting thousands of residents.
Last month, the headquarters of the African National Congress party reportedly received an erroneous bill for over 3.5 million rand.
