Metro at the time explained that during a council meeting held in May 2013, the cleansing levy was debated, and it was resolved that the refuse removal tariff be increased with 15 per cent, inclusive of the cleansing levy.
“The R5 levy was, therefore, erroneously implemented as a separate charge effective from July 2013. Having noted the error, a detailed investigation was undertaken on the process to correct the administrative error in respect of the charged R5 cleansing levy.”
Residents still did not understand this statement from the metro and thought it meant that they would be refunded their R5.70.
However, acting metro spokesperson Themba Gadebe says this is not the case.
“It should be noted the levy was erroneously charged separately. It was in fact supposed to be included in the refuse charge. Therefore any amounts charged to residents would have been the same, had the amount been included in the refuse charge, like it should have been,” says Gadebe.
Gadebe says tariff increases are implemented from the first of July, when the metro begins a new financial year.
“July 2013 was the first time that residents saw this specific charge, and this was an error because it was supposed to be included in the increased refuse removal tariff.”
