Free ride on Ingonyama land ‘to end’
EThekwini outlines how flat rate for services could be charged
THE days of people living on Ingonyama Trust land and not paying for municipal services could soon be a thing of the past, as eThekwini Municipality moves closer to charging residents a flat rate.
The metro has revealed progress on this proposal that was mooted by eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda a few months ago. Kaunda had complained that some people living on Ingonyama Trust land had built mansions and were using some of the city’s services without paying anything, even towards the upkeep of those services.
The metro is allegedly owed nearly R200 million by the Ingonyama Trust Board (ITB) for outstanding rates on its land. The council in total is owed nearly R17 billion for services, including R1bn by government departments.
The issue of the Ingonyama Trust debt came into sharp focus yesterday after the Msunduzi Municipality disconnected the services to the ITB head offices in Pietermaritzburg, alleging that the entity owed the municipality R8m for rates on its land.
Asked about progress dealing with Ingonyama land, eThekwini Municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela said the effective date of implementation of a flat rate would be guided by the legislative compliance, a consultation process as well as the identification of those residing in the rural areas of the municipality who should be charged the flat rate.
“Services to be covered by the flat rate include infrastructure such as road maintenance, water and electricity infrastructure maintenance, street lighting etc.
“Data of each household will be collected for billing purposes and each household affected will be assessed for affordability. Where they qualify as indigents, then exemption will be provided. The municipality will apply a revenue-collection mechanism wherein the monthly bill will be generated and posted to each registered customer for collection,” said Mayisela.
Speaking on the rates debt, Mayisela said the negotiations between the municipality and the ITB were ongoing.
“No decisions have been taken regarding the matter as consultations are in progress with the relevant stakeholders including traditional leaders.”
Councillors in eThekwini yesterday urged the municipality and the ITB to bring clarity and finality to the issue.
DA councillor Thabani Mthethwa described the issue between the city and the Ingonyama Trust as “delicate”, adding that he was aware that there were attempts to finalise the matter.
“At the moment it is difficult to speak on the issue and what we can say is that we hope the city and the trust finalise their engagement on the matter, and that it is resolved quickly.”
EFF councillor Thabane Miya expressed the same sentiments, saying they were unable to comment on the issue as this was not a matter they had engaged on. He said seeing as the municipality was not providing services such as refuse removal for those residents, they did not understand how the charges arose.
However, councillors in Msunduzi said they were in full support of the municipality’s action yesterday, saying that acting against the ITB was a step in the right direction.
ACDP councillor Rienus Niemand said the party fully supported the action.
“It is, however, fundamentally important that all customers be treated fairly and equally important that the municipality provides accurate accounts.
“The fact that the credit control policy is being applied in an unfair and politically motivated corrupt fashion is of great concern. Out of 36 000 prepaid electricity metres in the city, nearly 22 000 have been tampered with. Some of these customers have been stealing electricity for nearly 10 years, with no action being taken.
“This is blatant criminality by both the customers and the officials who have knowingly not disconnected the thieves. It is nothing but politically motivated corruption. The ACDP condemns such biased behaviour and the governing ANC cannot be trusted to treat all customers equally and fairly,” he said.
Ross Strachan of the DA said if the municipality was owed by any organisation, business, individual or organ of state, the credit control policy must be implemented. “No one is exempt from paying, unless due process has not been followed or (there are) unlawful practices by the municipality in terms of the disconnections.”
Responding to the disconnections, ITB officials described the unprecedented action by Msunduzi as “grandstanding and designed to make it seem like they are working”.
The entity’s spokesperson, Simpiwe Mxakaza, said “the account of the office is up to date, the rates they are speaking of is the land that is under the Ngonyama Trust”.
“What they are forgetting is that the land in question … There are people who are a constituency of the municipality who live there, there are government and municipal buildings there, what they are failing to do is to go there and collect their rates,” said Mxakaza.