Letter: DOCRRA needs your support

Ken Lever of DOCRRA writes: Yes, Mr Gray and Mr Maharaj are quite correct (Letters, April 13 and May 4).

Significant rates increases are about to be imposed by the KwaDukuza municipality in response to the rapid and increasing growth in our area and the need to upgrade ageing services.

And yes, DOCRRA – the Dolphin Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association – should be taking an active part in assessing and reviewing the proposed increases to ensure fair play for rent-paying residents and ratepayers in our area.

Although not yet finalised, DOCRRA anticipates that the municipality is proposing rates increases of between 7% and 9% based on the draft annual budget included in the KwaDukuza Annual Report. However, it should be noted that the last rates increases were introduced over three years ago according to information from the municipalities.

DOCRRA is in fact taking an active role in reviewing the available information – including the Ilembe Draft Integrated Development Plan Review – 2018/2019 and the KwaDukuza municipality’s Annual Report 2016/2017 – as well as attempting to obtain more specific information from the two municipalities with regard to the amount of rates paid by each ward and the amount spent on services supplied to the that ward. This is proving to be an extremely time consuming and complex task – but we are persevering.

However, please note that DOCRRA is not only the officially recognised representative organisation for ratepayers and rentingpaying residents in the Dolphin Coast area, but DOCRRA is also a voluntary organisation which is administered and run by an unpaid voluntary committee.

And to be fully effective, DOCRRA needs the support of all of you as paid-up members. DOCRRA asks for a subscription of R100 per household per year which can be paid in a number of ways. Please check the DOCRRA website on www.docrra.co.za.

DOCRRA needs the support – and subscription – of every single bona fide householder in Wards 6, 20, 21, 22 and 4 – as well as Wards 11 and 28 – if you are concerned to be represented and supported in your need and requirement for adequate services in return for your hard-earned rates paid to the municipality.

The DOCRRA annual general meeting is scheduled for Wednesday evening May 23 at the Simbithi Club at 5.30pm. We hope to see as many of you as possible in order to report back on the revival and resuscitation of DOCRRA as your nonpolitical representative on the North Coast.