Central residents have mixed reactions to proposed rates hike

Central residents have expressed mixed reactions to the tariff hikes proposed by the metro in this year’s integrated development plan (IDP).

The IDP is designed to provide strategic planning and direction for the metro’s term in office.

The metro is currently rolling out public participation meetings on the IDP, which will run until April 24.

In the plan, various tariff hikes have been proposed, including the following:

– 12% for electricity

– 5% for property rates

– 5% for refuse removal

– 5.9% for water

– 5.9% for sanitation

Tshwane approved its 2024/25 draft budget and IDP on March 27. The public now has a chance to give their input. The tariff increases take effect in July.

The coalition government tabled a draft budget of R50.6-billion for the 2024/25 financial year – R48.3-billion for operations and R2.3-billion for capital infrastructure investment.

Mayor Cilliers Brink said the approval of the draft budget is an important victory for locals as it starts the process of funding service delivery the metro intends to roll out from July 1.

Brink also said the draft budget is geared towards stabilising metro finances by ensuring services are rendered within financial limits.

Rekord checked in with a few central residents to gauge their reaction to the proposed increases.

Arcadia CID manager Catherine Keyworth, said that the IDP needs to focus on delivering services to the common resident who walks the streets daily. She thinks that the ideation of service delivery versus actual implementation is a gap that needs to be bridged.

“I think the primary focus needs to remain on delivering services to the ordinary citizens of our city. The aspirational policy makes little difference to the man on the street.

“As an ordinary citizen, I want to see a return on my investment. Fix the potholes, repair streetlights, get the job done,” Keyworth said.

AFM Sunnyside church pastor Dr Thomas Swift believes the proposed increases are far too high and unaffordable.

“My first question is, tell me which company is giving their employees a 12% increase?

“Local government must actually listen to what’s happening and adapt to that. I don’t think that in the economic times we are living in, many people are getting any increase. The average increase I think is around 4 to 5%,” Dr Swift added.

Swift also referred to the metro refusing to increase the wages, which resulted in the four-month-long strike by workers.

In the end, Tshwane proposed that if it met its revenue collection target of R4.4-billion on aggregate for February, March, April, May, June, and July, it would increase the wages by 5.4% backdated to January 1, payable in July.

“Every time these increases come, we are moving backwards. At the church, we are only going to give a 4.5 or 5% increase, it hasn’t been decided yet.

“I think, they need to look at the average increases government and private companies give and use that as a guideline. There must also be better management. I hear about a lot of departments with a lot of people doing nothing that they should look into,” he said.

AFM Sunnyside has been feeding around 300 homeless people every Friday for the past three years from a donation of vegetables from a local market, though the brunt of the scheme is out of the church’s pocket.

Ward 92 councillor Leanne de Jager said the increases are necessary to help the cash-strapped capital pay its creditors.

“The increases are due to Eskom’s raising of tariffs and municipalities having to make adjustments accordingly,” De Jager said.

Ward 59 councillor Shaun Wilkinson said residents should make their voices heard during public participation. He believes that the metro has little choice should it want to continue delivering services at the rate that it does.

“For all the residents and ratepayers of Tshwane, your active participation in the ward committee elections, IDP engagements, and medium-term revenue and expenditure framework, public consultation is crucial for shaping the future of our city,” Wilkinson said.

“Our mayor’s emphasis on funding service delivery and stabilising finances highlights the importance of the inputs of Tshwane stakeholders.

“Please engage robustly to ensure your voice is heard and your needs are met. Join the public consultation meetings, whether in person or virtually, and let’s work together for the betterment of our capital city,” Wilkinson said.

Comments and input must be submitted by 15:00 on May 3 as follows: email comments to idpcomments@tshwane.gov.za or hand-deliver comments to the IDP comments box, reception desk, Ground Floor, Tshwane House, 320 Madiba Street, Pretoria. Mention the region and ward you are from.

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