Manor Gardens ratepayers object to proposed municipal tariff increase
The association is made up of 400 members, including ratepayers from the Manor Gardens, Westridge and Howardene areas.
THE Manor Gardens Ratepayers’ Association (MGRA) is among those who have objected to the draft version of the eThekwini Municipality Property Rates Policy 2023/2024 which was approved on December 13.
The Manor Gardens Ratepayers’ Association, which was formed in July 2021, is made up of 400 members, including ratepayers from the Manor Gardens, Westridge and Howardene areas.
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In a letter addressed to the City on January 31, the association listed several concerns which were reiterated in a letter sent to the City on April 6.
Recent concerns include frequent electricity outages over and above load-shedding, roads in the area that have not been resurfaced for over 21 years, irregular refuse collection, long water outages and overgrown foliage on verges.
Based on these concerns, MGRA objected to an increase in monthly rates, water, electricity and DSW.
“The residents of eThekwini can ill afford any increases due to the economic climate that we are presently living in. In the last three years, we have had to contend with lockdowns due to Covid, the slow recovery after the lockdown – then we have endured two devastating floods, which most people have not recovered from. There is absolutely no way that by increasing the above, there will be any resolve in favour of the residents of eThekwini,” read the letter.
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MGRA further stated that there is currently no Ward 101 councillor to communicate with the residents and ratepayers and to attend the monthly Community Policing Forum (CPF) meetings.
The eThekwini Municipality was not available for comment at the time of going to press.
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