AN abattoir in Frankfort is dumping animal offcuts and blood into the Vaal River, adding another source of pollution to the effluent-filled Vaal Dam. (more…)
Archive for the ‘Ratepayer Issues and Problems’ Category
News Report: Business Day Weekender
Friday, July 10th, 2009The NTU Water Committee
Monday, July 6th, 2009Here is a list of the members of the National Taxpayers Union Water Committee, with their contact details and areas of expertise: (more…)
Water Affairs
Monday, July 6th, 2009Here is a list of common water problems; the towns that are affected by these problems; what can be done about it; and the right people to contact in order to get information and advice. (more…)
A Guide to Budgeting
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009Anyone who needs assistance in scrutinising budgets will find this document very helpful:
(Unfortunately it could not be loaded on the site as a PDF file, so it is attached as a document)
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Tulbach
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009Here is a letter written by the Ratepayers Forum of Tulbach, regarding the salary increases for council officials. It is a useful letter for organisations facing similar problems: (more…)
Budgets
Wednesday, June 17th, 2009The various city and town budgets should be completed by now and ready for public participation. Here is some advice from the NTU: (more…)
Getting power restored….
Sunday, June 14th, 2009Here follow three very interesting documents – they are the legal documents that were used to get the power restored to a group of Cullinan disputers who had their power cut off. They can be used as templates for similar cases in other parts of the country…. (more…)
Pretoria
Sunday, June 14th, 2009Chair: Salie Vorster Website: Pretoria website
News from Pretoria
A high-court case won over pre—paid electricity:
On Thursday 11th June 2009, Mr Herman Jacobs of Wierda Park went to the Spar in Centurion to buy R200 pre-paid electricity. The shop assistant told him that his rates were in arrears and that the R200 had been allocated towards rates, that he still owed R296 in arrears, and that he must pay before she can give him pre-paid electricity. Mr Jacobs has not been paying the double charges on rates and refuse that the Tshwane municipality has been charging. He made a few phone calls to query this, but after receiving no response the NBU went to the High Court for an urgent interdict. The advocate was Marie Olivier. The case was heard on Friday, and it is with gratitude to Adv. Olivier and attorney Herman van Bergen that the interdict was granted. The judge was not complimentary about the way the municipality was handling the affair and made an order that the municipality must immediately give Mr Jacobs his R200 electricity.
The Pretoria Ratepayers Association has called a dispute with the Tshwane Metro because of a fault in the billing system. By all accounts the Metro discovered an underbilling dating back to 2004, and decided to add this to the 2009 accounts. The RA has declared a dispute on these grounds and declared that the arrear amount will not be paid by its members, as in many cases the arrears are irredeemable by the householders (in the case of tenants or property that has been sold).
Department of Water Affairs
Friday, June 12th, 2009The NTU has been conducting meetings with the Water Affairs Department to find ways to resolve the breakdown in sewerage management in many towns. The Department has acknowledged that innovative ways must be found to deal with these huge problems and has promised to liaise and assist where-ever possible. They have been given a budget of R200 million to deal with sewage problems.
It is now up to each rate-payers’ association to take up the issue: they must investigate and inspect the state of sewerage treatment in their towns, and report this to the NTU’s Water Committee, as well as the contact at DWAF, Sizwe Mkhize. Sizwe’s address is: MkhizeS2@dwaf.gov.za]
The Groblersdal Budget
Friday, June 12th, 2009The Groblersdal Ratepayers Association has appealed to the Province to intervene in their local council’s budget. Following is a copy of the letter that was sent to the Provincial Treasury, outlining the problems. It makes interesting reading for ratepayers’ associations that might want to challenge their own town or city’s budget: (more…)