The meeting, which was held by the metro in order to inform the 2014/15 to 2016/17 financial year budget, took place at the Actonville Community Centre, and was chaired by member of the mayoral committee for water, sanitation and energy, Aubrey Nxumalo.
Resident Fanyani Maluleka demanded to know how assessments rates are being calculated.
“The rates are high in Wattville and we want to know if rates are based on land value or improvements,” said Maluleka.
He also said that the services provided by the metro do not last long, and his sentiments were echoed by Kingsway resident Mthandeni Zwane, who said that roads are washed away six months after construction.
Other residents demanded houses, with some saying they had registered as far back as 1996.
Jerry Singh, of Actonville, said there is a great demand for social housing and that the metro needs to look into this.
He also weighed in on the issue of indigents, saying poor people in the flats are being denied the privileges of being indigents.
He also called for the mounting electricity debt against the poor to be scrapped.
“Let’s not push the poor out of the country, because it is them who voted for you,” he said.
Farouk Mia questioned the vast amount charged for rentals, even to indigent people.
“I was allocated a flat last year; I pay R1 800 rent a month and I earn only R2 000 a month,” said Mia.
The expensive charges for graves was also a concern.
In responding, Nxumalo said assessment rates are determined by private companies and he promised to look at the grave issues.
Regarding the market-related rentals, Nxumalo told the finance officials present to go back to the drawing board and “come up with reasonable tariffs”.
He advised indigents to register in order to benefit, and also told social department officials present to consider going house to house to register the indigents.
On the issue of houses, Nxumalo said the metro is considering building flats, as there is limited land in Ekurhuleni.
“Sixty per cent of land in Ekurhuleni is made up of dolomite,” he explained.
He concluded by promising to deliver a “humane and acceptable service”.
