Pensioners ‘can’t afford to pay more’
Claims of intimidation in call for improved services
JUST weeks after a Chatsworth suburb’s application to become a special rating area was approved by the Ethekwini municipality, the new arrangement is being opposed.
Some residents, mainly pensioners, are opposed to Kharwastan’s Falcon, Iris, Penguin and Oak roads neighbourhoods being designated a special rating area.
The concerned residents, led by Indira Ramnarian, have taken their objections to the municipality.
Home and business owners in a special rating area are required to pay higher service charges to the municipality in return for additional security, upgrading and cleaners.
Two-thirds of residents in the affected area must be in favour of the change in rating status.
The Kharwastan special rating area board broached the change with residents last year after crime levels rose in the area.
Last month, the municipality gave the board the goahead and the neighbourhood became a special rating area on Friday.
But some residents claim they were misinformed by the local board about the move and were intimidated into agreeing to it.
“Most of the people here are pensioners and can’t afford to pay [more]. It is based on rates and this means that not everyone is paying the same amount,” said Ramnarian.
She claims that a meeting she called in an attempt to educate residents about the “realities of the SRA” was sabotaged by special rating area board members.
One of the residents opposing the introduction of the special rating said it had been put together in a “shoddy” fashion and pensioners would be saddled with the
Most of the people here are pensioners and they can't afford to pay more towards this scheme
expenses for life.
“This is not feasible for us here. It’s four roads but there is more than one entrance to the area. The street [security] patrol will be one car. How many places can they be at once? How am I going to benefit from this?”
Ramnarian has made several complaints to the municipality. This week, it said the area would allowed to revert to its previous rating status.
Ethekwini's head of communications, Tozi Mthethwa, said that the Kharwastan board had fully complied with all the requirements for establishing a special rating area but Ramnarian would be given the opportunity to voice her objections.
“Ramnarian is representing the concerned residents of the area, who have not as yet demonstrated that they have majority support.
“She will hold a public meeting early in August, which will be attended by a municipal official, to see if the majority support the disestablishment,” said Mthethwa.
Residents opposed to the special rating area in Kharwastan will have to complete a form in which they declare their support for the dissolution of the special rating area.
The chairman of the Kharwastan special rating area board, Sagren Nair, dismissed Ramnarian’s allega- tions of misinformation and intimidation, saying the board had always treated her with “dignity and professionalism”.
“All residents acknowledge that rampant crime in Kharwastan needs to be challenged. The overwhelming majority of ratepayers have acted by endorsing the special rating area. This was reaffirmed at a public meeting on Wednesday July 30 at which further plans were discussed and volunteer involvement invited.”
Nair said that because all residents would benefit from the enhanced street security of a special rating area, it was only fair that “everyone contribute”.
“Not all residents can afford the state-of-the-art security system that Mrs Ramnarian boasts of. She formed a dissident group to which selected individuals were invited and has failed to receive support from any credible organisation.
“The Kharwastan SRA board, on the other hand, enjoys the blessings of the Kharwastan Civic Association, Kharwastan Women's Forum, Kharwastan Senior Citizens’ Group, businesses, sports organisations, religious bodies, the greater Chatsworth Community Police Forum and residents.
“Although it is her right to oppose the growing majority, surely it is also incumbent upon her to show us an alternate plan to combat crime.”
Nair said the residents would be billed by the board with the higher special rating area charges this month as mandated by the municipality.