The GCN has received a number of calls regarding the “area cleansing levy” on their municipal accounts.
An amount of R5 is being charged to residents on a monthly basis.
Eric Palm, a resident of Malvern East, said: “I presume it is for cleansing the area.
“However, I work from home and have stayed in my house for the last 25 years and have never seen a cleaner clean the area outside my home.
“Can someone shed some light on this subject and be more specific about why we are paying the levy?”
Another Germiston resident, Barry Taylor, said that as far as he was aware part of your rates go towards cleaning your area.
Taylor had the following questions regarding the levy:
- Is there a monthly schedule, similar to the one for solid waste collection (you need to know when your area will be cleaned)?
- What will we actually get from this levy?
- Is there a “hotline” where you can phone in and ask for area cleansing?
- Does this cover cleaning/sweeping of the street and cleaning of the rain gutters?
- Does it cover the removal of weeds on the pavements, etc?
- Does it include picking up and removing general rubbish thrown down by people in the street?
- Does it include removal of notices from street lights?
- Do the cleaners empty the waste bins at the corners of junctions?
“The above are all areas which I would say fall under the term ‘area cleansing’,” Taylor said.
“These are questions that the metro should detail/answer before implementing the levy.
“I have no problem paying this extra levy, as long as it is controlled and the ratepayer gets something out of it to make Germiston and the rest of the metro cleaner for all.
“The by-laws for dumping of rubbish should also be enforced.”
A resident of Elspark has also queried the levy.
She said her area has never been cleaned and she doesn’t understand why residents are paying a levy when no work is being done.
The GCN asked the metro for comment on the matter and Themba Gadebe, from the department of communications and brand management, said: “Please note that council is going to address the cleansing levy in the adjustment budget.
“The intention is that, with the withdrawal of the R5 levy and the correction of the 15 per cent tariff increase, customers will not be worse off.”
The metro did not explain the levy or the thinking behind it, or tell the GCN if areas are, in fact, cleaned.
