Durban - The tariff increases proposed by eThekwini Municipality continue to face strong resistance from embattled ratepayers who believe that the “widespread corruption”, wastage of resources and poor service delivery that have become the hallmark of the City make these increases unjust.
As media reports state that close to 10 000 people have signed petitions objecting to the City’s proposed increases, dozens of residents from Chatsworth marched to Durban City Hall on Friday to register their discontent over the increase.
They marched under the banner of the Chatsworth and District Civic federation. The organisation said about 2 000 people had taken part in the weekday march.
They were also joined by the members of the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) who used the occasion to highlight the cause for the environment.
“We marched on Friday and we got our point across, we are saying no increases,” said the chairperson of Chatsworth and District Civic federation Teddy Govender. “It was a weekday and we managed to have about 2 000 people taking part in the march.”
The ratepayers are facing steep increases once the new budget for the 2023-24 financial year comes into effect on July 1.
The budget includes an 8.9% increase in property rates and a 21.91% increase in electricity.
Govender said: “We are saying before these increases, they should sort out the issue of corruption, the issues of wasteful expenditure, and the looting. We want the city to deal with the issue of skills in the municipality.”
He added that since a municipality’s budgetary processes had a community participation element, the views of the community should be taken into consideration.
He said they hoped to a get response to their concerns this week from the municipality.
Meanwhile, as residents in eThekwini take on the municipality, opposition parties in Msunduzi Municipality are also taking on the municipality over its “double billing” system.
DA MP Hannah Shameema Winckler said they were concerned that the municipality seemed to have ignored the pleas of residents to address this concern. She said this took place after municipal officials did not follow due process, including public consultation, prior to its implementation.
Winckler is also the DA Midlands Constituency political head.
“The DA is deeply concerned by Msunduzi mayor, Mzimkhulu Thebolla’s failure to respond to a memorandum handed over to the city, calling for an immediate halt to the adjusted billing cycle unilaterally adopted by the ANC-run municipality.
She said the residents had marched to the city and handed over a memorandum.
“We encourage Msunduzi’s residents to continue making their voices heard. This includes signing the DA petition – currently in circulation – which calls for a halt to billing changes until due process has been followed,” she concluded.
Msunduzi municipal manager Lulamile Mapholoba said they are addressing the concerns raised by ratepayers either as individuals or through the ratepayers’ organisation on a daily basis.