Vaaloewer: Carl Scholtz sent me a very interesting and professional newsletter for ratepayers in their area. Anyone who wants a copy can contact Carl at carl.scholtz@sasol.com
The Minister for Local Government has released a bill which contains proposed amendments to the Municipal System Act. The purpose of the amendments are to make municipal officials more accountable. I have a copy of the proposed amendments in PDF format and will forward a copy on request.
The World Cup is having one enormous effect – it is showing the world that South Africa can be world-class. For ratepayers, however, being world-class is an expensive exercise and due to the shrinking tax base, rates are going to increase exponentially every year while municipal officials dream about Olympics and other world events. It is therefore very important that the ratepayers make it clear to municipalities that it is their money that pays for all these wonderful things, and that they demand accountability. Don’t wait until it is too late. Join, or start, a Ratepayers Association now!
.Pieter van der Westhuizen of Villiers has announced a court victory over their municipality, contact him for a copy of the judgment at pdv.west@vodamail.co.za
Phalaborwa ratepayers had a meeting with their municipal manager about their supplying services where they had collapsed, and the reply from the MM was that it was illegal to supply services privately, even if the municipality was failing to do so. However, the MM is incorrect – Phalaborwa is a member of the NTU, and the NTU has registered as an external service provider and is therefore legally entitled to deliver services. The advice to the people of Phalaborwa is that, if they start – for instance – to fix the potholes in their streets, to do so with as much publicity as possible. The presence of the public and the media is usually a very good deterrent for municipal officials who feel like taking the law into their own hands.
Last month the municipality of Parys was notified that the entire area was going to have its electricity cut off because the municipality had not paid the bill. It is alleged that the municipality owes about R30 million to Eskom. The ratepayers were able to intervene and prevent the cut-off, but once again it raises the question: what has the municipality done with the payments from residents for electricity? The ratepayers of Parys are busy investigating this, and using this as a good reason for rates with-holding, as at least then they are able to pay the accounts that the municipality is unable to pay.
The revised copy of the Municipal Tariffs approved and applicable for implementation from July 1 2009 are available. This is what Nersa is allowing municipalities to charge. A copy will be furnished on request.
Bethal has decided to inform the Minister for Local Government that they have embarked on a withholding action. In a letter sent in May, the Ratepayers set out their reasons for the action, making note of the fact that meetings with local officials and the provincial MEC have not come to anything and that they are withholding rates as a last resort. A copy of this letter can be obtained from Wilco Uys of Bethal. Contact details on the website under Contacts
Harry Lane of Tweespruit has been very active: in May Tweespruit residents had a meeting with Nersa officials and discovered that their municipality had been charging illegal electrical tariffs for the last three years. This affects Tweespruit, Thaba Patchoa, Hobhouse and Excelsior. The ratepayers have decided to call a dispute over this matter. The dispute will refer to the fact that the municipality has not responded to registered letters, has not arrived at meetings, has also not dealt with sewerage and water problems. Harry Lane has warned ratepayers to look out for differential tariffs to different areas and asks why some districts pay more for electricity than others.
Danie Eichstadt wrote a letter to the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, with comments on the draft amendments to the Municipal Property Rates Act. Suggestions include: rebates based on household income and not just the income of the property owner; a guarantee that the valuation roll and accounting system must be properly co-ordinated. Get a copy of the letter from danieeic@absamail.co.za and perhaps you can discuss the proposed amendments with him.
I got a request for the court judgment in PE that forced the municipality to fire their municipal manager – unfortunately I do not have a copy of this judgment. Can someone in the Sundays River or Kirkwood are help me here?
According to Ken Denysschen of Mpofana, rates may only increase by CPIX, and not above. Any rates increase above this rate, which currently is 5,4%, is illegal. If you would like to find out the law that governs this, please contact Ken directly. His contact details are on the NTU website and his cell number is 082 – 907-1923. This also follows a request from Oliver Ransome of Ramsgate to find the legislation concerning the fact that salaries and wages may not be more than 35% of budget. If someone has some information on this, please let me know so that I can publish it.
Merweville residents had a meeting with their municipal manager. They asked questions about above-inflation rates increases, the fact that roads were not being surfaced, there was no job creation, that the budget had a surplus of R28million (yet their rates were still being increased above inflation). What outraged the residents was that the Municipal Manager, despite earning almost a million rand a year, could not answer their questions about the budget and did not appear even to have read it. The RA made the following suggestions: getting solar ovens for the indigent; holding solar energy seminars to encourage people to use solar power, job creation through waste recycling.
Kannaland RA have delivered objections regarding their draft budget 2010/2011. They claim that the process of public participation was not done in accordance with the law (the MFMA). They claim the draft budget as published is riddled with errors, and insist on a revised budget to the drawn up and tabled for approval.
The Emfuleni RA also submitted recommendations regarding proposed amendments to the Property Rates Act. These make interesting reading and answer many of the questions that often arise from ratepayers. Get a copy from Mari Myburgh, her contact details on the NTU website under Contacts.
A copy of a dispute document is available on request to indicate an example of a dispute. Please note that when a dispute is lodged with the municipality, each member of the ratepayers associations must declare an individual dispute.
The Ratepayers of Howick delivered an excellent presentation to the Municipality, and it might be worthwhile for other RAs to see how they have approached their problems. Ask me for a copy of the document.
Tags: Howick, Ratepayers, Vaaloewer