Waterberg farmers upset over huge municipal rate increase

Richard Wadley of Vaalwater represented the land owners and handed over 60 letters regarding the matter to DA Councillor Hercules Louw on Thursday October 5.

“We initially heard from the municipality’s CFO that it was a clerical error, but received no further information. According to the Integrated Development Plan, a 5,3% increase was on the cards.

Treasury guidelines state that the rates should only be raised by 5% to 7%,” said Wadley.

“Smaller farms such as those of 50 hectares are not hit as hard with rates of R45 increasing to R66. Larger farms of 8 000 hectares and bigger which pay R5 000 in rates now have to fork out and additional R2 300,” he said. “If we accept an increase of 47% this year, what increases will we face in the coming years on top of this 47% increase?”

Some of the farmers’ complaints are that unlike those residing in town, they receive no municipal services.

“On the contrary, we have to provide services to workers and those staying on the farm such as water, sewage and electricity. It is a double hit,” he said.

Although only 60 farmers wrote letters, Wadley said many more complained about the increase.

Louw undertook to get to the bottom of the issue and discuss it at the Municipal Public Accounts Committee.

Mayor Sechele Sebolai told Die Pos he would comment once he had looked into the issue. This matter differs from that of land owners whose rates increased after their agricultural land was reclassified as residential, which affected mostly those in lifestyle estates or on small holdings.

• Gerhard Breytenbach of the Waterberg Business Chamber encouraged members to have a look at the valuation roll and to object in time.

  The municipality announced in September that it has appointed Activa Valuation Services to collect data for the valuation roll. According to the Municipal Property Rates Act, all properties need to be valued every five years.