eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda this week met with the Westville Ratepayers Association to address pertinent issues around service delivery in the municipality. The meeting, hosted at the Westville Civic Centre, was the first of a series of planned meetings with ratepayer associations across wards in Durban.
The Daily News reported that the ratepayers have declared the City’s 2023/24 budget unlawful and requested that it reverts to the previous tariff application, prior to adjusting.
Kaunda addressed residents on their plan to stop paying rates due to challenges with service delivery and outcry over the increase of municipal rates. The association said the City disregarded ratepayers’ concerns and adopted the 2023/24 budget, promulgated as required by law when the budget tariff of 18.49% for electricity was adopted.
It also said that in drafting a budget, the municipality applied revenue collection from all revenue streams to properly administer the running of the city.
He appealed to residents to reconsider the rates boycott, adding that a process of streamlining revenue collection is under way where residents will be billed correctly for the services that they have used.
“While we acknowledge that sometimes our residents may get frustrated about service delivery lapses, we want to caution that the law is clear that non-payment for municipal services is unlawful. We can only fix these service delivery challenges if we all work together," Kaunda said.
He said a turnaround strategy has been put in place for waste management and has started to yield positive results.
Kaunda explained that before council decides on tariff charges, officials speak to all necessary stakeholders.
"We encourage residents to continue paying their accounts as non-payment will attract interest. The Municipality will continue implementing credit control measures in line with the relevant policies and municipal by-laws where accounts are in arrears. This includes disconnections which attracts a reconnection fee. Accordingly, the longer that payments are delayed, the greater the amount to be paid and services will possibly be disrupted in terms of the policy," Kaunda said.
He said in the event that residents do not comply with regulations around payment of rates, there will be challenges with issuing rates clearance certificates if the property goes on sale or if a property owner dies and the estate needs to be wound up.
"We urge residents to continue paying their municipal bills. Where there are genuine financial difficulties with payment, residents can visit any Sizakala Centre to make payment arrangements, in terms of the policy, that are more affordable," Kaunda said.
A memorandum was handed over to Kaunda with a list of demands from residents that should they be agreed to, the protest will be suspended. It states the following:
- The 2023/2024 tariff be set aside, backdated to July 1, 2023
- Renegotiate the 2023/2024 tariff increase which is affordable to everyone
- Undertaking to and a comprehensive plan of action to tackle misappropriation and irregular expenses
- Immediate stop to electricity disconnections, unless prepaid meters are installed
- Immediate establishment of the Rates Appeals Board
- All rates increases on properties on appeal to be set aside, backdated to July 2022
- All credit agreements must be reviewed and a moratorium placed on all interest on overdue accounts
- A simplified bill
- Regular, accurate readings as per legislation
- Estimate billings to stop
- Registered ratepayers over 65 with arrears to be written off
- Oversight board between ratepayers and eThekwini set up within 14 days of the meeting date
Kaunda has two weeks to respond to the demands.
IOL