City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor, councillor Herman Mashaba, has encouraged residents who are unhappy with their new property valuations and rates to log a complaint on the City’s website.
Business and home owners got the shock of their lives when they saw the sky-high valuations and rates for their properties.
Concerned rate-payers were in disbelief when they were notified that their properties have almost tripled in value, causing a massive increase in their rates, saying that they just can’t afford to pay such large amounts of money.
City of Johannesburg Executive Mayor, councillor Herman Mashaba, issued a press statement raising his concerns about the property valuations.
Mashaba said, “I have taken note of the public response to the issuing of the City’s Section 49 notices, which inform ratepayers of their new municipal property valuations. Unfortunately, this has raised a great deal of alarm, which I deem necessary to address.
“The current narrative seems to suggest that the City, through the 2018 General Valuation Roll (GVR), is forcing residents out of their hard-earned money to address a revenue crunch.
Nothing could be further from the truth. This process is run independently from the City, and cannot be influenced by the City.”
He also indicated that the implementation of the GVR is a legislated process, taking place every four years, with prescribed steps which need to be followed. In the case of the City of Johannesburg, a one-year extension was granted to implement the GV on 1 July.
Johannesburg is the city of choice for many. It is a major economic hub on the continent and offers the many who flock here the potential for a better life. The knock-on effect is a high demand for property, which means that prices are likely to increase over a five-year period.
“In establishing the value of a property, the municipal valuers analysed the recent sales trends for properties within a specific area as at the date of valuation, coupled with the relevant market information activity available for that area,” he added.
Mashaba encouraged residents who would like to object to their valuations to follow the specified processes and channels to ensure that their objection can be properly and fully administered.
Objections can be lodged via the City’s website, www.joburg.org.za, under the e-services tab. Follow the prompts leading to the valuations webpage.
Alternatively, hard copy forms are available at the Roodepoort Customer Service Centre: 1st Floor – 100 Christiaan de Wet Road, Florida.
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