Shadow Member of Mayoral Committee for Finance, Patrick Atkinson has called on the City of Johannesburg to assist ratepayers during the Covid-19 crisis.
In a statement released by the Democratic Alliance (DA), Atkinson said many Joburg ratepayers had seen their income significantly reduced or lost altogether while municipal rates remained the same. The statement read, ‘it is vital that our Municipality put financial measures in place to help our ratepayers. We do not know how the R20 billion set aside for municipalities will be divided and we certainly do not know what strings will be attached to it.’
Atkinson believed that the City should be proactive in helping its residents and not only rely on national relief. The DA offered the following measures it suggested could be implemented:
- No interest should be charged on municipal account arrears accrued during the lockdown, starting with three months. This must apply to all ratepayers.
- No rates to be charged for the first three months, with the rates due to be held off and payable interest-free over the following nine months. This must only apply to beneficiaries identified through a needs and means test.
- Rentals from social housing and old age homes to be reduced or suspended for three months.
- Rentals from SMMEs to be reduced or suspended for three months.
Atkinson added he had already shared his suggestions with the City’s MMC of Finance, Jolidee Matongo and was awaiting a response. “I can however guarantee that without a Joburg-specific relief plan, paid for and implemented by this Local Government, our ratepayers will receive close to no support,” said Atkinson.
