DA Benoni Constituency Head Haseena Ismail MP had successfully presented a petition to Parliament to urgently intervene in the high rentals paid by residents in council-owned flats in Ekurhuleni.
“The state of these council-owned rental stock does not allow or justify the high rentals being charged. Due to the dilapidated state of this rental stock the inconsistencies of the rentals charged is unfair, unjust and discriminatory to tenants,” she said.
Ismail added that senior citizens are expected to pay market rentals even though their only source of income is the money they receive from Sassa. “Considering the high unemployment rate and impact of the coronavirus on the economy, many tenants cannot afford these high rental prices.”
Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Human Settlements and Water and Sanitation recently resolved that all 10 per cent increases will stop immediately and more reasonable increases are to be in the new rental item.
“A public participation process must take place over a period of 30 days. Thereafter the reviewed rental item taking into consideration all public participation inputs will be deliberated upon and in two months’ time a revised rental item will be served at council,” she explained.
“The Ekurhuleni metro will then need to send a report to the National Portfolio Committee of Human Settlements and Water and Sanitation for oversight and further deliberation where necessary.
“The DA is pleased with the outcomes of the meeting and will continue to fight for fair rental tariffs for the residents of Ekurhuleni,” she said.
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