Residents to form association

RESIDENTS in Westville have united to form a ratepayers’ association to address issues including service delivery and increased rates.

Asad Gaffer, a member of the Westville Ratepayers’ Steering Committee, said they hoped the association would help strengthen other similar associations in the surrounding areas.

“The issue is the same everywhere, and nothing has changed. Service delivery seems to have come to a grinding halt in the city, and everything is blamed on Covid-19. There seem to be internal issues within the municipality that are affecting us, ratepayers.

“Our aim is to form a ratepayers’ association and then try to activate associations in other communities in the city. We want to then bring them under an umbrella body called the Combined Ratepayers’ Association of Durban. By doing this, we will have a louder voice in the council and we want to hold them accountable,” he said, going on to say that a virtual meeting will be held on Saturday to elect office bearers to serve the association.

“The meeting will be open to anyone who wants to serve and a membership fee will be required to participate,” he said.

Email westville.ratepayer@gmail.com Nonhlanhla Nozizwe Hlatshwayo