Since Inkosi Langalibalele Local Municipality has published the New Property Valuation Roll, there have been a number of queries made with the local ratepayers association.

Some business and residential property owners dispute the increase in the valuations, and have called on the association to liaise with municipal management regarding various concerns.

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Detailing the concerns, the Estcourt Ratepayers Association has sent the following letter to Municipal Manager Patrick Mkhize.

“The Estcourt Ratepayers Association has received a deluge of complaints from residents with regards to the astronomical increase in valuations of their properties. The overwhelming majority of residents have not been informed by the municipality of these drastic changes, notwithstanding that legislation compels you to inform owners. According to Section 49 of the Municipal Property Rates Act of 2004/49:

(1) The valuer of a municipality must submit the certified valuation roll to the municipal manager, and the municipal manager must within 21 days of receipt of the roll –
(a) publish in the prescribed form in the provincial Gazette, and once a week for two consecutive weeks advertise in the media, a notice
(i) stating that the roll is open for public inspection for a period stated in the notice, which may not be less than 30 days from the date of publication of the last notice; and
(ii) inviting every person who wishes to lodge an objection in respect of any matter in, or omitted from, the roll to do so in the prescribed manner within the stated period;

(b) disseminate the substance of the notice referred to in paragraph (a) to the local community in terms of Chapter 4 of the Municipal Systems Act; and

(c) serve, by ordinary mail or, if appropriate, in accordance with Section 115 of the Municipal Systems Act, on every owner of property listed in the valuation roll a copy of the notice referred to in paragraph (a), together with an extract of the valuation roll pertaining to that owner’s property.

We implore you to send these notices to all the owners, informing them of the changes to their property valuations, and extend the deadline so that aggrieved parties may participate in the lodgement of objections. We await your urgent response.

Kind regards and warm wishes.
MA Osman (chairman – Estcourt Ratepayers Association”

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