Public can submit input on proposed tariff hikes

RATEPAYER associations say they intend on commenting on the proposed tariff hikes scheduled to start in July.

Last year, the eThekwini Municipality released its draft budget for 2020/2021. It said electricity would rise by 14.59%, water by 8.5%, refuse removal by 4.9% and sanitation by 8.5%.

The public has been invited to submit their input on the expected increases.

Pooh Govender, the chairperson of the Shallcross Ratepayers Association, said there was no need for a sewage increase as there was little to no service delivery offered.

“There should be no increases. The municipality wants to raise the prices but the people cannot afford it.

“The city should instead focus on service delivery.

“President Cyril Ramaphosa said there would be a Covid-19 fund for municipalities to support them.

“eThekwini should request money from that fund instead of killing the people with the increases.

“The price of petrol just went up and the cost of living is getting higher. In fact, the city is burdening people.

“In Chatsworth, we have street lights that have not been working since last year, but we are still being asked to pay up.”

Ish Phalad, the chairperson of the Reservoir Hills Ratepayers Association, said: “The city should give the people a break. We are still under a pandemic and people have lost their jobs. They cannot afford to pay for big increases just yet. Inflation will cripple people.”

Vish Roopnarain, the chairperson of the Verulam Ratepayers Association, said: “The thing that worries me is that the city does not take its residents seriously any more.

“We used to have something called a public participation aspect, whereby the city would send officials to sit down with residents and discuss the budgets, but it has stopped for a while now.

“Most of the time, residents are not aware of bills or budgets unless they read about it. We need proper consultation and we need to be taken seriously again.”

Comments on the budget can be emailed to Yolan Nagoor at nagoory@ durbanchamber.co.za before May 10.