eThekwini to deal with those boycotting rates

ETHEKWINI Municipality has warned that contrary to rumours, there is no court interdict that prevents it from disconnecting services to those not making payments. This comes as some Ward 97 residents continue to agitate for a rates boycott.

eThekwini’s warning is in response to posts that have recently circulated on social media, claiming that the Westville Ratepayers’ Association (WRA), acting under the eThekwini Ratepayers’ Protest Movement, has obtained a court interdict that prevents the City from disconnecting residents taking part in the rates boycott. The WRA has been working closely with a loose formation of Ward 97 residents who had shown interest in participating in the rates boycott in protest of the poor service by the municipality.

Also read: Rates boycott discussed in Amanzimtoti

The chairperson of the WRA, Asad Gaffar, attended a meeting in Amanzimtoti where he explained what the Westville residents had done in preparation for the boycott and implored Ward 97 to join the movement.

As of September 6, the protesting residents deposited R1.2m in withheld rates into a trust account.

eThekwini spokesperson Gugu Sisilana said that while there is no court interdict in place, the City is aware that an application by the WRA for one is scheduled to be heard on November 1 at the Durban High Court. She said the City’s legal department is attending to the matter and will not be discussing its merits since it is subject to court processes.

“Through the Office of the Speaker, a series of engagements with ratepayers led by the mayor, Mxolisi Kaunda, are currently taking place throughout the city to assure residents of our commitment to provide quality services. We encourage residents to continue paying their accounts as non-payment will attract interest,” said Sisilana.

She added that the municipality will continue implementing credit control measures in line with relevant policies and municipal by-laws where accounts are in arrears.

“This includes disconnections which attract a reconnection fee, provided there is no tampering with the meter. If there are illegal connections, the meter will be removed, and new application fees will have to be followed by the customer to get a new meter,” she said.

Residents who are experiencing genuine financial difficulties and cannot make payments are encouraged to visit any Sizakala Centre to make affordable payment arrangements.

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