It’s time for ratepayers to weaponise themselves [LETTER]
There is a way for ratepayers to confront the arrogance of those who see eThekwini as a cash cow for their comrades and that is the partial withholding of payment of rates.
EDITOR – The comprehensive deterioration and dysfunctionalism in eThekwini Municipality indicates that the time for ratepayers to weaponise themselves against this third world state of affairs is overdue.
Adding insult to the situation is the totally unjustified award by the mandarins controlling the metro of R526-million in bonuses and above-inflation salary hikes to their staff.
Yet this has occurred when:
• Thousands have lost their jobs through lockdown and economic recession.
• Revenue collection is on the decline.
• Maintenance of infrastructure is poor to patchy with massive water losses.
• Service delivery of the basics is irregular.
• Steep rises in electricity and other tariffs are about to be applied.
This situation cannot continue. Pietermaritzburg is an example of what happens when remedial action is not taken. Twice it has been placed under administration and is headed that way again. eThekwini, once financially stable and secure has only 22 days of credit, well below the treasury advised minimum of 45 days.
Although she claimed she needed to make time for her doctoral degree research, the recent resignation of Belinda Scott, who was the deputy mayor and who previously was KZN MEC for finance, is an indicator that eThekwini has reached the tipping point.
There is a way for ratepayers to confront the arrogance of those who see eThekwini as a cash cow for their comrades and that is the partial withholding of payment of rates. In order to do so, an organisation needs to be established which sets up a trust fund into which ratepayers pay half of their rates.
To get this idea moving requires the support of ratepayer bodies and opposition political parties. It is time that the three introductory words to the preamble of our constitution are asserted, namely: We the people.
DR DUNCAN DU BOIS
Bluff Ratepayers’ Association
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