Cape Town -
A group of Mitchells Plain residents burnt their water and rent bills on Thursday and buried them under a tombstone with the words “RIP Council Arrears” inscribed on it.
This, they said, marked the “death of their payments” to the City of Cape Town.
“We want all our arrears to be written off and we want our own title deeds and no more evictions,” said protest organiser Sulyman Stellenboom.
The residents said they had received numerous eviction threats from the city and feared they would be homeless soon if their bills were not cleared.
About 60 residents gathered at the Mitchells Plain Town Centre library to air their dissatisfaction with the city. They carried copies of their latest water and housing bills and placards which read “Bury the DA”.
The tombstone was erected outside the municipal office in Westridge, with residents singing struggle songs and chanting “amandla ngawethu” (the power is ours).
Stellenboom, who described himself as a “loyal United Democratic Front member” said he had received several service delivery complaints from residents.
“We will not stop protesting until the government does something about the issue.”
Michelle Robain, who lives in Eastridge, said she and her husband were living with her 83-year-old mother-in-law whose rent had gone up to more than R4 000. Her water bill was R2 000.
Robain said she was unemployed and her husband was a casual worker.
“We received an eviction letter a few months ago and when I went to the rent office I was told that we need to pay R600 a month.”
Robain said they could not afford to make the payment and she feared they would soon be homeless.
Magoed Baradien, 45, who has been living in his Tafelsig home since he was 14, said he owed R24 000 in rent and had a R6 000 water bill.
“I can’t make the payments. I am a father of six children who are all at school. We depend on my disability grant,” he said.
Baradien said his water was cut off four years ago and he received water from neighbours. “The municipality expect me to pay R400 from my R1 200 disability grant. If I do pay, what am I to eat?”
Ilham Abrahams, a Swartklip squatter, said her husband had been on the housing list for more than 15 years.
“We live in tent structures and even in those structures law enforcement officers chase us off. They took my identity book and my child’s birth certificate. Now I can’t apply for the child grant,” she said.
City spokeswoman Priya Reddy said those struggling to pay their municipality accounts should go to the city’s revenue offices before they received final demands.
“There is no reason for debt to get to the point where water has to be disconnected. The city provides affordable payment arrangement plans, which lead to the suspension of all debt-management actions until the arrears are paid in full.”
* South Africans owe municipalities R86.9 billion, and government departments owe another R4.2bn, says Co-operative Governance Minister Lechesa Tsenoli.
Cape Argus