Cancel rates debt for the poor – EFF
The EFF will be organising direct action against these municipalities soon to ensure these debts were cancelled.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has condemned the Tshwane metro cutting off the electricity supply to Mamelodi residents.
The EFF said in a statement on 22 May, Tshwane metro had begun switching off electricity to the homes of the gogos, madalas and child-headed households who were unable to pay ridiculous bills of R6 000 and upwards a month.
“The EFF calls for the cancellation of unreasonable debt in rates and taxes for the poor,” said national spokesperson Mbuyiseni Quintin Ndlozi.
There has been a growing phenomenon of municipalities charging poor people in townships, in particular the aged, unreasonable and inexplicable rates.
Ndlozi said the EFF would be organising direct action against these municipalities soon to ensure these debts were cancelled.
“It makes no sense that the poor who are on pension and child grants get charged exorbitant amounts at a time of rising levels of unemployment. The government seems to give them these grants on the one hand, and collect them like loan sharks on the other, with interest.”
“We call for all these debts to be cancelled with immediate effect because they represent corruption and an unreasonable expectation of payment from the poor.”
Victor Tswai, of the Mamelodi SA National Civic Organisation (Sanco), said what the metro was doing was wrong and unacceptable because many families in Mamelodi were already suffering.
He said many pensioners and child-headed families were cut off from the electricity supply.
“Some of them have been living without electricity for the past five years. I think it is time someone fixed this problem,” said Tswai.
The problem was exacerbated by municipal officials not doing their job.
“Sanco has received complaints from pensioners who are charged more than R250 000 for electricity. How can a pensioner, who is living with his/her grandchildren, afford to pay that amount on a pension grant?”
He said current affected townships were Mabopane, Orange Farm in Johannesburg and Seshego in Polokwane.
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