Metro puts brakes on `illegal’ refuse levy

This follows the metro’s introduction of an additional charge of R5.70 (VAT incl.) in the municipal accounts,under the name “refuse area cleansing levy”, since July 1.

The metro sends out in the region of 644 000 accounts every month, and our calculation indicates they made approximately R3 670 800 a month, from charging this levy.

The charge raised some eyebrows throughout the entire metro, since no one had knowledge of it, and this led to a “special” mayoral committee meeting to reverse the charge.

Infuriated residents questioned what the extra levy was for.

“I was under the impression that our assessment rates covered street cleaning,” said one resident.

To make matters worse, residents said they have never noticed any extra effort to improve the litter situation, since the introduction of the levy.

Izak Berg, of the Ekurhuleni Ratepayers Association, called the levy “illegal”.

“The finance committee never mentioned it in the budget meetings and it was never discussed or approved by council,” said Berg.

The DA said the metro did not communicate “this increase properly”.

“In last week’s programming committee meeting the finance MMC, Moses Makwakwa, announced that the item had been gazetted in error and, as it had been gazetted, the metro had simply applied the charge,” said DA shadow finance MMC Eddie Taylor.

Taylor said Makwakwa indicated an intention to bring an item to council to reverse that decision at the August meeting.

“However, no such item appeared in August or September and, when the item does finally appear and the council votes on it, the charge will be removed and residents’ accounts will be credited,” he added.

Responding to our enquiry, the metro said a special mayoral committee meeting resolved that the implementation of the levy was erroneous and that it should, in the interim, be reversed.

“There is currently an internal and administrative process dealing with the technicalities in respect of levy implementation, and the resolution will then be communicated to residents,” said metro spokesman Sam Modiba.

It appears the move was prompted by the fact that the refuse department’s income is far exceeded by its expenses, mostly as a result of collecting illegal dumping.

The metro called the R5 charge (excluding VAT) “an intervention” being introduced to cover the expenses incurred by the municipality in clearing illegal dumping and litter.

Modiba said it was not the intention of the municipality to penalise its ratepayers by adding the levy, but is rather a proactive step towards handling the costly problem of illegal dumping.

The charge was meant to be levied on all property owners, to cover a portion of the cost of non-income generating services rendered by council, such as the operating costs of mini waste disposal sites, litter picking and removal of illegally dumped refuse.

“It is merely a ring-fenced portion of the refuse removal tariff and was introduced with the new tariff schedule implemented from July 1, 2013,” said Modiba.