Durban - The Westville Ratepayers’ Association (WRA) says over 3 000 ratepayers in the City are in support of its action to boycott paying rates to the eThekwini Municipality at the end of this month.
The WRA recently wrote to the Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) about its dispute with the metro, and called for the department to intervene before the end of the month or the residents would not pay.
Earlier this month, WRA chairperson Asad Gaffar revealed that the association was declaring a dispute with the metro over the tariff increases. It said the increases were high and had been imposed by the municipality with little to no consultation.
The Mercury had previously spoken to several ratepayer organisations which declared they were joining the action by the WRA and would not be paying rates at the end of this month and would instead deposit the money into a trust account.
In the letter to Cogta, the WRA said: “The support for such a protest has grown across the metro. We have the support of around 3 000 ratepayers and the numbers are growing.
“Ratepayers from the following suburbs have joined in this campaign: Overport, Asherville, Musgrave, Durban North, Reservoir Hills, Tongaat, Hillcrest, Pinetown, New Germany, Westmead and Assagay.
“After our chairperson appeared in an interview on a Durban (Vuma) radio station, we have been receiving requests from KwaMashu, Inanda and uMlazi. We are confident that many more ratepayers will join us in this campaign,” said the letter.
“We have been calling on your office to convene an urgent meeting between the WRA and other interested parties, and the eThekwini Municipality, but we have had no response from you. Neither has your office given any indication that it would do so.
“The WRA has already declared a dispute with the eThekwini Municipality and should we not be able to resolve this dispute before the end of July, the ratepayers of eThekwini will not pay over any monies to eThekwini and will place the monies in a trust account as an act of protest.”
The letter said that eThekwini had not managed the ratepayers’ money well and millions had been lost through corrupt dealings.
It said the ratepayers’ protest action of putting their funds into a trust account should be regarded as a constitutional obligation by the affected ratepayers, to protect monies that need to be used by the state to function in order for it to carry out its constitutional obligations.
“It is evidently clear that there are no systems in place to prevent the loss of ratepayer monies and that this behaviour will remain,” said the WRA letter. It said eThekwini was in urgent need of infrastructure rebuilding, and this unlawful disgorging of public funds could not go unchecked.
“The ratepayers have always abided by the law by being responsible citizens and have always paid our dues, but the city of eThekwini has failed to provide the necessary services to the majority of its citizens.
“Please be advised that this is our final correspondence to your office. Should we not receive a response from your office by close of business Tuesday, July 18, 2023, we will accept this as a sign of your unwillingness to mediate in this matter. This letter will be presented to the court in any legal proceedings which arise.”
Gaffar said the department had not responded to their letter by yesterday.
The municipality has previously said it would not comment on the issue as it was now a legal matter.
Siboniso Mngadi, KZN Cogta spokesperson said the responsibility for the collection of municipal rates and taxes lies with the municipality.
“We understand and acknowledge the concerns expressed by the ratepayers’ organisations. However, it is essential to emphasise that the payment of rates and taxes by residents is crucial for the smooth functioning of municipalities and the provision of essential services. These services include but are not limited to waste management, infrastructure development and maintenance of public spaces.
“While we recognise the concerns raised by ratepayers organisations, we firmly believe that boycotting rates may not be the most effective solution for both parties involved. Instead, we strongly encourage open channels of communication and constructive dialogue between the ratepayers and the municipality.”