UPDATE: Ratepayers call for pay parking boycott

Outraged at the lack of public consultation by KwaDukuza municipality, a petition has gathered 2000 signatures and the ratepayers association has called for a boycott until the municipality consults properly with the public.

Dolphin Coast Ratepayers and Residents Association chairperson Ken Lever said in a letter to the mayor’s office on Tuesday that views and alternatives need to be aired by both Dolphin Coast residents and by the municipality in order to arrive at a reasonable and just system.

Also read: Fury over pay parking

“DOCRRA will support any boycott of the parking charges until such time as there are open public consultations and a clear explanation of the proposed methodology from the municipality. DOCRRA has no objection in principle to parking charges being imposed as long as they are fair and reasonable and that residents and bona fide businesses are not unduly prejudiced by the blanket imposition of a standard charge.”

The system, launched by KwaDukuza mayor Ricardo Mthembu three weeks ago, wants motorists to pay R6 an hour for public parking bays in Stanger, Shakaskraal, Umhlali and Ballito, including the beaches.

Ahead of the launch, neither ward councillors nor ratepayers were notified of what the municipality calls a revenue-generating mechanism they say was passed by the council in 2011.

What has most boiling is that no concessions have been made for full-time employees who do not have a choice but to use public bays.

This will see some staff pay up to R960 a month. The petition, started by a Ballito estate agency employee Privi Naidoo, gained 1800 signatures and a hard copy got 200 signatures.

“I find it appalling that ratepayers and businesses were not consulted about KDM’s plans. My goal is to reach 2500 signatures. Since we are running out of time I will be handing the petition to councillor Malcolm Hubner who will present it to the council as a public objection,” said Naidoo.

DA chief whip in Ilembe Malcolm Hubner said that not a single public meeting was held, even after public outcry.

“The procedure was for KDM to hold a meeting in all the affected wards where people could put forward their concerns and questions. This was not done and I have been inundated with calls mostly from business owners who are furious as this will affect their staff and customers. Since this decision was passed in 2011, we are currently trying to look through the municipal records to find the document that came to council.”

Residents have slammed the municipality, saying the new system was ridiculous.

“This is just another stupid little mechanism to collect more tax. There is no value for citizens. In fact, it’s going to tarnish the Ballito holiday town image. What’s next? A pedestrian toll gate on the boardwalk? A walk on the beach tariff? In 1856 the British government introduced a sunlight tax, so the more windows you had, the more tax you paid. It lasted 156 years before being repealed. But of course, it’s colonial. Why don’t you introduce a R100 spot fine for littering? At least Ballito would become cleaner,” raged Ballito resident John Kemble.

However, mayor Ricardo Mthembu has dismissed the public outcry as politically motivated and a ploy by opposition parties to undermine the ANC.

“If people have a problem with the system then they must bring it to the attention of the municipality so that the officials can act on it. Petitions usually come into play when the problem does not get resolved but the municipality was not even made aware of the problem. Pay parking is not a new thing in the area. It was in place years ago, even when I was young. In this particular case, people will benefit from job creation and this system will help grow the local economy,” he said.

Also read: UPDATE: Petition launched against pay parking system

The municipality’s media liasion officer Sipho Mkhize has refused to answer the Courier’s ques – tions on the estimated revenue income and the lack of public participation, saying that the issue has spiralled into a political matter since Naidoo, who is heading the petition, was a member of the DA.

Mkhize also accused the Courier of inciting hate in the community against the municipality by reporting on the petition. He claimed that since the online petition states it had been created two months ago, the public was aware of the system and that most of the voters were not local.

The Courier was also advised to look through KDM’s annual reports should they require information concerning public funds.

However, Naidoo said that she had created the petition in her personal capacity as an employee who will be negatively affected.

“Should people who vote DA not have a say?

My main concern is having to pay almost R1000 to go to work. My profile for the online petition was created two months ago when I did my first petition on the condition of the Sheffield roads. This petition only started from October 25 and I have the analytics to prove it.  There are a few people who no longer live in the area that signed, but these people own property mostly in Ballito and should still have a say.”

The official hours for the parking system will be from Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm and between 8 am to 2 pm on weekends and public holidays.

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