Higher taxes: What will we be paying for?
With respect, Mr Mayor and honourable Council, what will our substantially increased rates and taxes be paying for?
Dear Sir.
Today I learned from an official of Randfontein Municipality that our rates and taxes on the smallholdings are going to be increased by 323 per cent.
You have read correctly – 323 per cent for a smallholding only used as a residential area. In addition, I also learned that houses in town that are worth less than R450 000 will be exempted from paying rates and taxes.
I would like to bring to the attention of the Mayor and the Council, who seem to regard this as acceptable, the following:
In the nearly 40 years of staying on our smallholding in Klein Elandsvlei, we have never received any services, except the provision of electricity from the council.
We drilled our own borehole to supply water for our household. We supplied the pumps, pipes, electrical connections and cables to bring this whole system into operation, without any assistance from the municipality. Initially we carted our household rubbish to the rubbish dumps ourselves, but fortunately somebody came to the fore that does this for a monthly payment. Again no assistance from the municipality.
We see to it that our sidewalks are kept clean and neat and the last few years we had to pay for security services as we do not have any policing in our area.
We have to endure the speeding of huge carrier trucks, which not only leave our roads in very bad condition, but are dangerous and noisy as well. Again, no assistance from the municipality, especially in the form of traffic police or even the repairing of enormous potholes.
We also have the pestilence of rats as big as cats, because of the dirt in all the squatter camps around and amongst us. Complaints in this regard to the council are totally ignored, regardless of the environmental health hazard it constitutes.
I forgot to mention that although we pay very dearly for electricity, it is not a dependable service, as a soft breeze or small cloud, can interrupt this service for hours on end. So, with respect, Mr Mayor and honourable Council, what will our substantially increased rates and taxes be paying for?
