CAPE TOWN - Frustrated Communicare tenants gathered at the South African Revenue Service (Sars) office in Bellville on Thursday where they handed over a petition demanding answers to their request for the tax collector to probe allegations of mismanagement by the housing organisation.
The Ruyterwacht Tenants Forum had in May written to Sars, requesting that they look into a list of concerns including allegations that Communicare was not paying tax on several of their properties; and that some of the properties and erf numbers were not registered.
They also charged that Communicare was not living up a verbal promise that tenants could “rent to own after five years”.
Over the past four months they were not updated by Sars, and on Thursday demonstrated at its office.
An extract of the complaint to Sars read: “Communicare is in the process of trying to sell off 271 freestanding housing units and several blocks of flats they claim to own. In our research and through the enquiry via the deeds office etc, we have found that several of these properties and erf numbers are not registered. Our concern to this is that we have been paying rent for several years for these properties. We are also fully aware that for any rental a proportion of these taxes goes back into the county and gets back into circulation as benefits to the taxpayers. We believe that from several of these tenants rent is being taken but taxes are not being paid to Sars for these properties.”
A representative of the forum, Reginald Cedras, said a Sars management member on Thursday accepted their petition, and said they would respond in seven days.
Sars spokesperson Anton Fisher, in responding to questions, said: “In terms of the Tax Administration Act, Chapter 5, Sars is not allowed to disclose confidential taxpayer information.”
Communicare chief operating officer Makhosi Kubheka, said none of the allegations were proven.
“Communicare conducts an annual independent financial audit that is publicly available. The recent audits have found that Communicare has a clean bill of health and is compliant with Sars legislation. We welcome an investigation if Sars considers these baseless allegations worthy of an investigation. We will cooperate fully with Sars.
“Communicare is the registered and legal owner of all its property in Ruyterwacht as confirmed by the deeds office.
“Communicare has never had a ’rent to own’ programme. All leases in Ruyterwacht are normal commercial lease agreements like any tenant would have.
“The lease agreement allows Communicare to sell the property. We are making every effort to allow tenants to purchase the property they currently lease."
Cape Times