Residents had until June 18 to lodge objections against the proposed new property rates valuations.
In the final days leading up to the objection deadline, the new valuation roll garnered attention from national media.
Despite the efforts of residents and community activists, objections closed on June 18.
In the lead up to the final hours of objections, no effort was spared to prevent the new valuations from being signed off.
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Ward 20 councillor Jill Humphreys requested an urgent meeting between officials and residents, writing a letter to the city manager.
“Our residents are not requesting anything unreasonable. Our residents only wish to pay what is fair and reasonable.
“When a home that was valued at R4-million is suddenly in the year of lockdown revalued at R15-million, with the consequence of quadrupling the rates levy, that is unreasonable,” Humphreys stated.
“Moreover, when an indigent family is faced with an increase of between R2 000 and R5 000 in their monthly rates and taxes payment, that is extortion.”
She said ratepayers were objecting in their thousands even though most of them had not received their Section 49 notification.
“Legal teams have identified no fewer than nine legal irregularities in the compilation of this valuation roll, all capable of being challenged in Court.”
Humphreys called the valuation roll which will be implemented from July 1 ‘an insult’.
She called on the metro to implement an extension on the date to render objections, citing many residents were not aware of the existence of the valuation roll, partly due to the delay in the city delivering the Section 49 notices.
Residents Action Group (RAG) Bedfordview chairperson Marina Constas also weighed in on the objection process before the June 18 deadline.
“I am angry, frustrated and disappointed. I am deeply disappointed in our municipality, which clearly does not care about the people of Ekurhuleni,” she said in a statement on June 15.
Constas added the city had no regard for the health and well-being of its residents, including the elderly, [who had] to go into the Council offices in person repeatedly during a pandemic.
“Council has completely ignored RAG’s call for a meeting on the rates issue. They insist that the process of delivering objection forms in person to Council offices must be followed.
“They insist that after following this ill-considered process, people who have objected must again go into the municipal offices in person to present their reference numbers and have their account flagged to avoid paying the excessive rates based on the flawed valuation roll from July 1.
“Ekurhuleni Mayor Mzwandile Masina, city manager Imogen Mashazi and Gauteng Premier David Makhura should be hanging their heads in shame.”
Constas assured residents that RAG’s action against the City of Ekurhuleni will not stop.
“We are working with legal experts. We are working with Outa. We are engaging with the media. We expect the municipality to provide a detailed record of the tender process for the appointment of Opti and Black Dot Joint Venture, the outsourced company that was appointed by the City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) to do the property valuations,” she said.
In response to Humphreys and Constas, spokesperson for the City of Ekurhuleni Zweli Dlamini said the objections period opened on February 24.
He added that the CoE extended the operating hours for all customer care centres (CCCs) accepting objections until 21:00.
Dlamini said that while there was an online objections link but those who had used it had their objections bounce back.
“To be accurate with these objections and avoid rejected objections, which will frustrate residents, physical objections are recommended because objection forms had to be checked and accepted by objection assistants.”
Dlamini added that all residents who have objected to the values of properties in the General Valuation Roll have two options about payment of property rates.
“Firstly, residents can pay rates on the values as they are in the valuation roll while awaiting the objection outcome. There is no action needed from ratepayers who have opted for this option.
“If the objection outcome comes in favour of the property owner, and that results in overpayment by the owner, the journals will be prepared and credit be shown on the statement of account for that particular property,” he said.
The effective date of the back payment will be July 1, which is the implementation date for the General Valuation 2021 to 2025.
“Secondly, ratepayers who are not willing to pay in accordance with the new valuation while waiting for objection outcome should go to the Billing Section/ Rates Section at the CCC where the account is held and make an arrangement to pay rates on the value they believe it is the market value of their property,” Dlamini said.
He added that cognisance should be given to the fact that outcomes might be favourable to the ratepayer and if the ratepayer has overpaid then they will be credited, but if it is not favourable the ratepayer will be liable to pay the shortfall.
“Please note CoE is also going to flag all objections so that services are not cut while property owners are waiting for objection outcomes in case of shortfall in payments.”
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