Litter-picking charge is highway robbery
Never has the state of the town been in such disrepair.
Julie Christou writes by email:
I am shocked to see that council has added a new charge called litter picking on some municipal accounts.
This charge ranges from R1 300 upwards on some accounts in the Central Business District.
Are the taxpaying landlords now being charged for the mess that hawkers and the public in general leave in front of their properties?
Is this now a new way of making money? Surely our taxes cover the cleanliness of the town?
Does this mean that after my staff have cleaned in front of my office and someone walks past and throws a banana peel and some cigarette butts, then council comes and picks it up and I am charged R1 300 on my next account?
It’s highway robbery.
I have lived in Brakpan all my life and have run an estate agency in the town for over 40 years and never has the state of the town been in such disrepair.
Could someone from council please comment on this so-called litter-picking charge and how is it calculated.
Editor’s note: Comment was requested from the City of Ekurhuleni and the following response was received from spokesperson Themba Gadebe.
“The litter-picking levy is part of the city’s promulgated Waste Management Services charges that are levied to ensure the city delivers on various waste-related services,” he said.
According to Gadebe, the levy is calculated as follows: R0.1146/m² of the total square metres of the property, to a maximum of R2,301.91 plus VAT to be charged at all businesses and industrial-zoned erven where a scheduled litter-picking service is provided at least once per week.
Also read: Landfill sites in Ekurhuleni set an example
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