West residents have mixed reactions to rates increase
The metro wants to increase its electricity tariff from July by 12% and water by 5,9%, among other services.
Pretoria West residents have 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.
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 for the public to give input. Tariffs increase in July.
Tshwane tabled a draft budget of R50.6-billion – an operating budget of R48.3-billion and a capital infrastructure investment budget of R2.3-billion for the 2024/25 financial year.
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 West residents to gauge their reactions to the proposed increases =.
Chairperson of the Lotus Gardens, Atteridgeville and Saulsville Civic Association (Lasca) Tshepo Mahlangu said the metro should look into its own affairs instead of increasing rates.
“Residents did not form part of the thieves who looted Eskom. Why are we punished for the sins we did not commit? R10-billion disappeared under the DA-led coalition, R12-billion was embezzled through GladAfrica and they blamed innocent residents. We won’t pay for tariff hikes in July. They know our situation. They refused to engage the residents when we needed them, why now?” he said.
Lasca hosted a mass community meeting earlier this month to discuss service delivery in the local townships. The civic organisation has been an outspoken critic of the metro on service delivery, credit control, billings and a litany of other issues.
“Tariff hikes will only make more people poorer, especially black communities. We can’t afford it. This arrogant and incompetent administration failed to govern. It is time for them to vacate our public office spaces. They do not have the capabilities to govern,” said Mahlangu.
Proclamation Hill resident Wendy Oelofse said the metro should focus on delivering services, as the IDP participation meeting in her ward was postponed due to power failures.
“Ward 3 gets mentioned in one place in the IDP as part of line 3 CBD to Atteridgeville, something to do with roads and transport. Nowhere else. Our scheduled IDP meeting was postponed due to a power outage, one of many that Kwaggasrand and West Park are currently experiencing due to a substation trip almost weekly. The infrastructure needs an upgrade but we are not part of any upgrades. Tshwane wants to increase rates but people are battling to survive as it is,” she said.
Hercules resident Johan Cloete said the IDP will hurt the poorest of the poor by increasing basic service costs and the municipality should look at the contractors instead.
“People already can’t even afford electricity as it is now. Some of these communities are the poorest of the poor and these increases will only make it worse for them. The municipality [must] get rid of these contractors that are costing a lot of money. It has people at the depots doing nothing,” Cloete said.
He said the city must cut service to big business that don’t pay for their rates, including state-owned ones.
“Make the government accountable for not paying rates and taxes, but to increase the costs for normal citizens will bring them more to their knees than they already are,” Cloete added.
Mashudu Makhado of the Soulbent Project NGO, which conducts weekly clean-ups in Atteridgeville and Saulsville, said increases would improve the quality of life in the metro and supports the mayor’s efforts.
“I think it will assist the city with more resources, our city needs more resources to compete with other metros, and service delivery is important. Our mayor is a dedicated man with a plan and a vision, let’s support his objectives because our communities are a mess, our schools are a mess and our people don’t care about the water and electricity they use. Our lights can be on during the day and water taps can be running throughout the day,” Makhado said.
IDP comments must be submitted by 15:00 on May 3 as follows:
-Email idpcomments@tshwane.gov.za, or deposit it into a comments box at the reception of Tshwane House, 320 Madiba Street, Pretoria. Include the region and ward where your reside.
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