Lekwa Ratepayers Association called on the community to join a meeting at the Standerton Country Club on Tuesday, 2 March to focus on a way forward as regards service delivery.
The Standerton Advertiser spoke to Mr Gary van Aswegen, vice-chairman of the association, on Thursday, 25 February.
“We intend to raise funds to take the municipality to court if need be, about the increase in rates and taxes,” Mr Van Aswegen said.
“Businesses are suffering losses because of the hikes.”
The issue of the municipal business accounts showing a hefty increase, did not sit well with the community and the newspaper covered the preamble to the legal route in its edition of 19 February.
Business owners were advised, as reported, to lodge their complaints at a number of addresses.
Mr Van Aswegen reiterated the argument that these increases were illegal since it was not published.
Legislation regulates its publication namely the Local Government Municipal Systems Act, 32 of 2000 and the Local Government Municipal Property Rates Act, 6 of 2004.
No public participation was allowed either.
The Standerton Advertiser has published the municipal rates in the past, but in the last few years no documents were received.
In one year however, it was put on the wall of the municipal offices in Mbonani Mayisela Street.
The association’s Facebook-page spoke volumes.
“The current municipal leadership team will surely have one of the worst terms in the history of political terms: Unless it was a race to see who can obliterate a town fastest. Scorecard below.”
The post commented on service delivery, including the role players, as follows:
• New potholes – Superb job
• Increase in pothole circumference – Outstanding
• Electricity – What’s that? Unless you mean “fault finding”
• Water – Only certain areas when there is electricity, please move on to next section
• Sewage – Depending on dam levels. Mostly 99 per cent straight into the Vaal
• Eskom – Creditor
• Leadership – Word in dictionary
• Management – The MM is boss
• Refuse removal – Proceed to next question
• Infrastructure upgrades – Huh?
• Social media content designer – Actually pretty ok
• Community rating – You may proceed to your next destination, thank you
