IT was heartening to see your esteemed newspaper raising the issue of irregular and anomalous ‘rates’ charges levied on private property.
Perhaps it should be noted that these spiraling charges are not, in fact, rates but a property tax. It was indeed the Highway Mail that alerted readers some six years ago that such an iniquitous tax was being introduced without warning or consultation.
Do many readers recall the introduction of general sales tax? That was introduced at 4 per cent and it’s now called VAT and charges 14 per cent. At the time we were at least democratically asked the question “Do you wish to add in or add on?” Some choice, but at least we were forewarned. This was not so with property tax and there is no limit in sight.
By imposing an ever-rising tax on ever-rising property ‘values’ – as determined by the Municipality – the state has effectively torn up home owners’ Title Deeds. The result is that our homes are now ‘leased’ from the state and the ever-rising cost of buying a home actually purchases nothing more that occupational rights.
So home owners, without index-linked incomes, must eventually be squeezed from their homes by this unfair tax. Raising the issue with the municipality I was told “In that event, move to a cheaper area!” How nice. It proves that radical transformation and expropriation without compensation is actually not a new concept.
Tax you
Kloof
