Property evaluation by the City of Joburg a big worry for senior citizens
Prepaid meters eat into seniors' pockets.
They are receiving between R 1 600 to R 1 700 per month as their only source of income, and are left to take care of an ever-growing number of grandchildren and are expected to pay monthly prepaid water, electricity and monthly municipality services.
These are some of the concerns raised by senior citizens from Ward 47 in S’godiphola and Dobsonville in a meeting held at the Neac Dorothy Nyembe Park last Monday. According to Mariah Mabizela (75), since the installation of prepaid meters in her house, life has become unbearable.
She said, “In the past, I used to load between R10 and R20 prepaid electricity and water. This would last about three days in my household. Lately, loading R10 or R20 prepaid water or electricity does not even switch on the light, let alone provide us with five litres of water.”
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Mabizela said she survived through the kindness of neighbours who provided her with water and electricity. Another senior citizen, John Zungu (89) said these days, R50 prepaid electricity lasts his family about three days.
Zungu said he paid more than 40 percent of his monthly government grant on water, electricity and municipal services.
“I depend on regular medicine for survival, which takes more than 20 percent of my monthly government grant. That leaves me with about 40 percent money of my grant payout. I’m still expected to buy groceries, pay for the funeral policy and buy clothing, which it is still not enough for my survival,” said Zungu.
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Merriam Zwane (89) said the recent property evaluation by the City of Jo’burg brought misery to her life. She said they were not consulted when the property was evaluated.
Zwane said, “Ever since my property was evaluated, the rates for water, electricity and refuse removal have gone up.
“The municipality wants us to pay an exorbitant amount monthly for services. We didn’t invite the City of Jo’burg to evaluate our properties. Their decision was unilateral but we are expected to fork out money to pay for services.”
Sizwe Dasi, the Expanded Social Package (ESP) official in the City of Jo’burg said the ESP is a basket of benefits designed for the vulnerable citizens, youth, child-headed families, people with disabilities, senior citizens and for people earning below R 5,578 per month.
“ESP package beneficiaries should be South Africans who reside within the City of Joburg. They will get the benefit of five services, which are; sewer, refuse, water, electricity and rates. ESP beneficiaries get 100 percent on sewer and refuse.
“On electricity, ESP beneficiaries will get 30 kilowatts and we don’t give 100 percent of free water. We only give 600 kilolitres of free water to ESP beneficiaries,” said Dasi.
He said pensioners who are ESP beneficiaries receive free water depending on their level of poverty which has been classified into three categories.
Dasi said pensioners living under extremely poor conditions get free 30 kilowatts, better pensioners get 20 free kilowatts and affording pensioners gets free 10 kilowatts of free electricity monthly.
“On the property evaluations, only ESP beneficiaries owning houses valued at R 450,000 qualify for a subsidy. Pensioners owning a house valued at above R 450,000 should apply for a pensioner’s rebate which is a special package for pensioners owning houses valued above R 450 000,” said Dasi.
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