Residents make urgent call for rates relief
Operators of B&Bs and other accommodation establishments have said that with "no bums in beds" since March 28, their income has been "seriously compromised".
There are growing calls for municipalities to reduce property rates under the current State of Disaster that was declared as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
FC Bester of the Endumeni Residents Association said he “fully supported the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) effort to launch a petition in a bid for national government to enforce local municipalities to either grant reductions or temporary exemptions on rates until the State of Disaster declaration has been lifted.
“Thousands of people have lost their jobs or a significant part of their income, and not all property owners can afford to keep paying property rates due to the unexpected and unprecedented economic fallout of Covid-19. We have received calls from people who literally have to choose between keeping food on their tables or paying property rates – and municipalities can assist,” Mr Bester said.
He added that the petition was gaining traction in Dundee, with many people “eager to sign it”.
According to the Local Government Municipal Property Rates Act 6 of 2004, municipalities have the mandate to bring relief to their residents in the form of exemptions, reductions and rebates on property rates as per section 15 (1) and (2) of the Act.
“This section expressly permits exemption and reductions within an area affected by a disaster within the meaning of the Disaster Management Act, 2002, Act 57 of 2002.”
The Courier has contacted Endumeni Municipality regarding this issue and it is hoped that information will be forthcoming shortly.
President Cyril Ramaphosa told the nation last month that the lockdown is likely to have a negative impact on the revenue of municipalities and that national government has committed R20 billion from the R500-billion Coronavirus Fund to ensure that municipalities are able to provide emergency water supply, increase sanitization for public transport, and provide food and shelter for the homeless.
Operators of B&Bs and other accommodation establishments have said that with “no bums in beds” since March 28, their income has been “seriously compromised”.
“Registered B&Bs are already paying exorbitant business tariff charges for electricity and of course rates. We ask the municipality to look at some kind of relief, as the tourism sector employs hundreds of workers in the area whose income will also be compromised as the lockdown drags on,” said one B&B owner who declined to be named.
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