SAPOA Limpopo engages with Polokwane Municipal Manager

The Limpopo branch of the South African Property Owners Association (SAPOA) met with Polokwane Municipal Manager Dikgape Makobe and his team of departmental heads last Friday in a effort to facilitate the establishment of a Joint Strategic Property Forum to address issues of mutual concern.
SAPOA said in a media release that it participates in the annual review of the municipal Integrated Development Plan (IDP) that serves as a strategic planning instrument which guides and informs all planning, budgeting, management and decision-making processes of municipalities.
“In practice the IDP is a comprehensive strategic business plan for the municipality over the short and medium term. SAPOA provides comments and inputs from the commercial property sector’s perspective during the Analysis, Strategies, Projects and Budgetary phases of the annual IDP review process. SAPOA participates by means of providing written comments to the municipality and in attending IDP Representative Forum meetings. SAPOA also participates in the review process of the municipal LED Strategy,” according to the statement.
According to SAPOA, it raised several issues during the IDP process that impact on the commercial property sector such as enhancing engagement with the business/commercial property sector, tackling land use control and land invasion in rural areas, prosecuting illegal land-uses within and around the city, provision of information regarding progress with short, medium and long term strategy projects of the municipality to address the bulk water and sewerage problems, envisaged date for the lifting of the moratorium on development in the city, delays with building plan approvals, limited access for the public to the municipal GIS system, among others.
“SAPOA is of the opinion that the establishment of a permanent Joint Strategic Property Forum is required to improve the level of communication between the commercial property sector and the municipality. It is envisaged that such a forum should meet two to three times a year and be attended by SAPOA Limpopo committee members and senior officials of municipal departments,” SAPOA said and added that Makobe indicated that he will consider the establishment of such a joint strategic property forum and SAPOA will provide a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for consideration by the municipality.
According to the statement, Makobe informed the SAPOA delegation that the municipality experiences challenges with the business sector in the city.
The four main challenges that were mentioned are illegal business activities on properties that contravene the zoning provisions of such properties, businesses that have illegal service connections, businesses that tamper with water and electricity meters to avoid full payment for municipal services and businesses that occupy buildings without required occupation certificates.
Makoba indicated that strong action will be taken against the perpetrators and that punitive property taxes are already implemented against illegal land users.
The SAPOA Chief Executive Officer and Regional Chairperson of SAPOA offered their support to the municipality and informed the Municipal Manager that SAPOA will not tolerate any illegal utilisation of properties and contravention of municipal by-laws by their members.
“The SAPOA delegation stressed that the establishment of a joint strategic planning forum will create a two-way communication channel whereby both parties can table issues of concern that can be deliberated to achieve amicable solutions,” the statement concludes.